Barking up the wrong trees
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ญ.
Largescale and organised bark stripping in Cape Town's Newlands Forest is slowly but surely killing it. The harvesting of tree bark for sale and use in traditional medicines is causing a growing army of the cityโs nature lovers to take action. They say itโs the equivalent of stripping the skin off living humans as it rips away the treesโ ability to disperse water and nutrients. Joining SANParks on patrol under the cover of night, Carte Blanche investigates the mission to save a forest from bark strippers, and how best to secure a place in society for traditional practices.