NATURE MAKES A COMEBACK
IN MOZAMBIQUE
BY MARYELLEN KENNEDY DUCKETTGUERRILLA FIGHTERS once roamed
the rugged mountains and misty
forests along Mozambique’s border
with Zimbabwe. Now birdsong fills
the air, and adventurers look for ele-
phants, hike to waterfalls, and marvel
at ancient rock art in what is one of
the country’s newest national parks.
Since its designation in June 2020,
Chimanimani National Park has been
an example of how conservation proj-
ects are working to bolster this East
African country’s protected wildlands.
During civil unrest from 1964 to
1992, the Chimanimani region was
ravaged by poaching and sown with
land mines. In recent years, illegal
gold mining and slash-and-burn
agriculture have destroyed habitat and
degraded soil and water.
Today the park attracts scientists
and public-private partnershipsPHOTO: JEN GUYTONdetermined to protect its biodiversity,
which includes 76 plant and animal
species found nowhere else.
Initiatives such as MozBio (Mozam-
bique Conservation Areas for Biodi-
versity and Development) balance the
needs of both wildlife and humans by
promoting environmental awareness
and sustainable economic activities —
beekeeping, nature-based tourism,
shade-grown coffee farming—that help
reduce rural poverty in Chimanimani’s
border communities.
National Geographic Explorer Jen
Guyton, an ecologist and photojour-
nalist who participated in two Chi-
manimani biodiversity surveys, says
one goal of the expeditions was train-
ing young Mozambican scientists to
be conservation leaders. Says Guyton,
“Their passion and their optimism
give me great hope.” jPLACES OF A LIFETIME
Mozambique is one of
National Geographic’s
Best of the World destina-
tions for 2022. Check out
the full list at natgeo.com/
bestoftheworld.
LOCAL BEAUTY
Manica sugarbush
(Protea caffra gazensis)
is found mainly in the
massifs and mountains of
the Chimanimani region.EXPLORE | BEST OF THE WORLD
AFRICAMOZAMBIQUE