Dave
and I and a couple dozen other orientees finally pulled off the dusty, potholed
road and entered Fisherman’s Camp along the shores of Lake Naivasha. We were
about to begin our three-month orientation course, Kenya Safari.
“We
lived in our tent under shade trees: eucalyptus—heavy-scented, with clouds of
billowy dark leaves—and umbrella acacias, with horizontal layers of airy,
delicate leaves and three-inch needle-sharp thorns. I’d seen acacias only in
exotic African photos, and then at Lake Naivasha I found myself living in a
tent under those trees.” (from Grandma’s Letters from Africa, Chapter 1)
Wattles,
whistling thorn trees, umbrella trees, thorn trees—they’re all acacia trees,
just four of more than a thousand species of acacias.
The
yellow-fever acacia, also known as fever acacia, grows at Fisherman’s Camp. Its
smooth bark is bright yellow or greenish-yellow, and it appears especially
brilliant when sunshine filters through the trees’ leaves.
This link will show you photos of yellow-fever acacias. They’re quite fascinating.
I also invite you to take eleven seconds to watch this video clip, filmed at Fisherman’sCamp, where you’ll see not only this tree’s unusual bark, but also a Colobus
monkey, a striking creature with black and white silky fur.
I’ve
often wondered why those trees go by the name “fever” acacias. Recently I investigated,
and here’s what I discovered. Because fever acacias grow in moist areas (along
rivers, near lakes, in swampy areas), and because early European settlers living
nearby often fell ill with malaria, they mistakenly blamed the trees for their
fevers—and thus the name, fever acacias. In fact, however, malaria-carrying
mosquitoes also breed and live in such moist areas. Mystery solved.
Come
on back next week.
I'm eager to introduce you to more of
Kenya’s beauties at
Fisherman’s Camp!
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