Few people know it, but large parts of the Eastern Cape were once covered with dense, subtropical thicket that supported a multitude of birds, animals and insects. This micro forest disappeared as the land was transformed for agriculture, leaving vast plains covered in little more than low shrubs.
Its not exactly something to be proud of, but heres something that is: in December last year, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations recognised the restoration of this ecosystem as a World Restoration Flagship.
Communities, various organisations and partners are coming together to boost soil resilience, trap carbon, restore habitat for animals and create jobs in rural areas. In this issue of Made in SA, we proudly profile one such organisation, Return to Thicket, and the impact it is having in restoring this land.
