Like ‘climbing Kilimanjaro’ without help: Interview with a Limpopo conservationist

In Limpopo province, in the far north of South Africa, where much of the population lives in rural areas, environmental conservation is often not considered very often. Instead, the residents spend much of their time trying to make a living either from the forestry around them or from fishing in the Mutale and Limpopo rivers. But for Mutale resident Tshilidzi Mulugana, degradation of the local environment is a concern, as it will affect the community and endanger biodiversity.

Mulugana is the founder of the Niani Youth Development organization whose mission is to educate local youth. He wants to make a change in the community, to help residents conserve the environment. Mulugana is afraid the next generation may not live to know indigenous tree species — yet these trees serve as traditional medicine.

He noted several threats to indigenous species such as baobab (Adansonia genus), leadwood (Combretum imberbe), mopani (Colophospermum mopane) and marula (Sclerocarya birrea): recurring floods, the movement of elephant herds from neighboring Zimbabwe or Mozambique through the area, and traders who cut the trees to sell as firewood.

In 2019, Mulugana began a grassroots conservation initiative focused on planting indigenous trees. One day, an official from Kruger National Park (KNP) — a walkable distance from where he lives — came across Mulugana, attracted to his project. The official later invited a representative from the forestry and fisheries department, and in 2024, the two groups funded the project. Mulugana also hoped to recruit community members to help with the work, but funding ran out after six months.

Yet Mulugana never gave up.

In January this year, Mutale was hit by flooding that prompted Mulugana to restart his conservation efforts. With the help of his wife, he is now going around households within his reach, planting indigenous trees.

Mongabay spoke with Mulugana in June. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Mongabay: Can you tell us about yourself, how you came to be in Mutale and how you became part of this community?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: I was born in Soweto in 1982 and the family relocated to Folovhodwe. My father by then had a lot of cattle, so he was looking for a larger grazing space. In 1989, we relocated to Mutale. There were very few people in this area. My father had a very good relationship with the Mutale traditional leader. As we settled, the traditional leader emphasized the need to conserve nature. It was the traditional leader who would hunt wild animals and share among the residents. I loved this spirit.

Mongabay: When you look back at your early years in Mutale, what were your first impressions of the environment and the natural surroundings?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: I remember visiting the Mutale and Limpopo rivers in the late 1980s,

where we were entertained by the sounds of different birds and enjoyed seeing many fish swimming in the river. We also enjoyed walking in the thick bushes, jumping over short bushes, eating wild fruits such as marula from the indigenous trees that were found everywhere in the area. At that time, there were many birds, such as the emerald-spotted dove [Columbidae family] and Swainson’s spurfowl [Pternistis swainsonii], but today we no longer see as many birds.

Mongabay: What inspired you to start Niani Youth Development, and what kind of change were you originally hoping to bring to the community?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: There were a lot of things that came to my mind when I was growing up. One of them was the idea of bringing young people together so we could assist each other, especially when it came to school activities. I did a small research project with a friend, focusing on what happens to learners as they progress through school. For example, if there were 35 learners in grade seven at a particular school, by the time they reached matriculation, we discovered that only a few remained. We then questioned what had happened to the rest of the learners. We discovered that some had married, while others had dropped out of school. Some of those who dropped out ended up turning to poaching in order to feed themselves because they were unemployed.

This prompted me to think of how to mitigate such trends in our community, leading me to form Niani Youth Development. My vision was to help restore the lost environment by bringing back the indigenous trees and birds that had been destroyed.

Mongabay: At what point did you begin to notice that the environment around Mutale was changing in ways that concerned you?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: Immediately after the 2000 floods, I realized that things were no longer the same. The floods wiped out many trees along the riverbanks and in the valleys. They also washed away some houses. Although I was 17 years old, I quickly noticed that the fruits I used to enjoy were no longer there. Comparing our environment today to the time when we first settled here, erosion has taken a toll. The grass has been destroyed, leaving only stones behind, but stones cannot prevent erosion. As a result, water now flows much faster in such an environment. Even the riverbanks are no longer intact because the trees and grass that once protected them have been destroyed. During the summer, I have noticed the river dry up quickly. Around September and October, we often have no water in the Mutale River, unlike in the past when water was available throughout the year.

Mongabay: You say you fear that future generations may grow up without knowing indigenous tree species. Why does this thought worry you so deeply?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: I imagine a child growing up in Mutale and only being told that there was once a tree called the mopani. That child would only get to know this tree by seeing it in Kruger National Park [KNP], which is only a few meters from our area. The child might begin to wonder what went wrong and why we no longer have mopani trees in our area, yet there are so many of them inside the park. Let us protect our trees so that future generations will also have the opportunity to see these species. These species must be preserved forever.

Mongabay: You have mentioned deforestation and the cutting of indigenous trees for firewood. Which tree species are most affected, and why are they so important to this ecosystem?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: Mopani and leadwood trees are among the most affected tree species in our area. They are good for firewood, and the mopani tree serves as habitat for mopani worms [Gonimbrasia belina], which are important to our community. Mopani worms are highly nutritious, not only for human consumption but also as a source of income where communities harvest and sell them.

Mongabay: There are also reports of elephants moving into this area. How does this movement affect the environment and the communities living here?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: These elephants move freely within the agreed transfrontier conservation area shared by Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. They often move in large numbers and at times destroy trees and crops, which negatively affects the well-being of local residents.

Mongabay: Mutale has also experienced recurring floods, including the January 2026 floods. What kind of impact have these floods had on the land and natural environment?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: I still remember very well that there were major floods between 2000 and 2026, yet very little has been done either by the affected community or by relevant government departments such as the department of environment, forestry and fisheries. These floods persistently destroy our environment, adding to the damage already being caused by community members who cut down trees for firewood and for sale.

Mongabay: Why did you feel that planting indigenous trees was the most important starting point for conservation in this area?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: Planting trees was the simplest and most practical thing to do. The seeds for these trees are always available, and all we need to do is harvest seeds from existing trees and develop nurseries to grow new trees for future planting. A few community members received training from KNP on how to grow indigenous trees. We applied that knowledge.

Mongabay: What do indigenous trees represent for the community, both environmentally and culturally?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: Culturally, we believe there are certain tree species that should never be cut down, as doing so is believed to bring bad luck. This belief was passed down to us by our parents and grandparents and traditionally, our communities respected and upheld these values. Today, however, many people no longer believe in these traditions, saying these are merely myths.

The marula tree plays an important role in our community. Its fruits are a valuable source of food, and they are also used in traditional medicine. From an environmental point of view, the marula tree contributes greatly to the beauty of the land scenery. Unfortunately, many residents no longer observe or respect these traditional beliefs, and this has contributed to the destruction of important tree species within our community.

Mongabay: After planting, who helps ensure that the trees survive and are protected?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: My wife and I love to see the beautiful environment we had in the late 1980s, so we make sure we take responsibility for the survival of these trees. We usually put a fence around the garden where our nursery is located so that animals and people do not damage the nursery.

Mongabay: How have local communities responded to your conservation work?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: Some community members appreciate my work, and I give them different trees to plant. The community usually prefers trees that bear edible fruits and those that provide shade. Others do not really see the value of my effort to conserve the trees. Most focus on cutting trees for firewood and getting some money after selling the firewood.

Mongabay: Through Niani Youth Development, what role do young people play in environmental protection today?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: There is no real effort from young people; most of them are not willing to carry on with the project, as there is no stipend attached to the project. The youths expect some form of compensation.

Mongabay: What attitudes have you noticed among young people toward indigenous trees and conservation work in general?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: I have noted that the community does not consider indigenous resources as something special or recognize that indigenous trees contribute to our well-being. Generally, the community does not take care of nature. People often destroy whatever they come across, including wild animals, for monetary gains. There is a need to educate and carry out awareness campaigns, especially for the youth, so we can break this cycle. If we do not break this chain, it will continue into the next generation, impacting the environment even more severely. We only have one Earth, and we need to protect it and its biodiversity.

Mongabay: Conservation work is often difficult and slow. What have been your biggest challenges in trying to protect the environment here? 

Tshilidzi Mulugana: When you try to protect the environment, you are often seen as an enemy by many community members, as they feel you are disturbing their way of earning a living through cutting firewood for sale. I have realized the community is no longer afraid of breaking environmental laws that protect trees and other natural resources around us. Somehow, our environmental laws are weak. I always try to advise the community not to cut down trees, but they tell me it is a means of survival and argue that the trees do not belong to anyone; they belong to everyone in the community. This leaves me alone in trying to conserve the trees.

Mongabay: In many ways, you are one individual responding to much larger forces such as deforestation, floods and environmental change. What has this journey taught you about the power of one person to make a difference?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: This is really tough. It is like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro without assistance. It is very difficult as an individual to convince the community not to destroy the environment. The game of numbers comes in when it comes to protecting the environment. It is me and my wife against the whole community, and we will not win. The community seems to forget the impact of floods in our area, where trees were uprooted, further damaging the environment.

Mongabay: Despite these challenges, you continue to push your conservation work forward. What keeps you going?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: If we do not protect our environment, who will do it for us? We need to do everything possible to protect and rehabilitate the environment. We need the trees for survival, so we must conserve the nature around us. Love for the environment is my motto. I would like to see everything the way it was before. Let us go back to how things used to be. We need to return and rehabilitate the environment.

Mongabay: If your work succeeds and expands, what kind of environmental future would you like to see for Mutale?

Tshilidzi Mulugana: I would like to see many trees growing all over our place, as well as along the banks of the Limpopo River, as it was around 1989, when we settled here. This I am sure will again bring back the beautiful scenery. I would really like to see a good relationship between human beings, animals and the entire biodiversity living peacefully, as it used to be long ago.

Banner image: Baobab (Adansonia digitata) in Mapungubwe National Park, Limpopo. Image by Bernard DUPONT via Flickr (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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