Andre Britz stopped his pick-up truck on a mountain track to talk about the amazing spekboom shrub in southern Africa.
This shrub, also known as Portulacaria afra, has red stems and thick green leaves that soak up carbon dioxide, helping the environment.
Britz showed the difference between areas with healthy spekboom and places where it’s not thriving due to over-grazing and mismanagement. Spekboom is essential for the land, providing shade and absorbing carbon from the air.
Spekboom does carbon sequestration day and night, making it unique among plants. Britz founded Jobs 4 Carbon ten years ago, aiming to replant spekboom in areas affected by drought. His team works hard to nurture new plants that can bring life back to the dry land.
The spekboom is called a “miracle plant” because it creates forest-like environments, trapping water, dust, nutrients, and carbon. It can store large amounts of carbon due to its special ability to switch between two types of photosynthesis.
Jobs 4 Carbon has replanted nearly 700 hectares, and they hope to fund their efforts by selling carbon credits, which companies buy to offset their emissions. However, scientists need to determine the exact amount of CO2 the spekboom sequesters.
The group plants spekboom for free if landowners agree to let their land recover for at least 15 years. They aim to green 13,000 hectares with funding from foundations and companies. This initiative not only helps the environment but also prevents emissions from land degradation.
Britz believes in the saying, “Take care of your veld, and your veld will take care of you,” emphasizing the importance of restoring and caring for the land.