November 28, 2014
By Karissa Killian (Westminster College)
Who knew that Namibia had a natural paradise so similar to that of Palm Springs in the United States? In fact, it has the same name: Palmfontein. Fontein means spring in Afrikaans and when we arrived in Palmfontein after joking about vacationing in Palm Springs, it became very evident why this settlement has its name.
To start from the beginning, we spent the week in Ehirovipuka Conservancy finishing our last bit of field work. Palmfontein was our final field camp and after traveling for a little over two hours through regions of ancient bedrock, ephemeral rivers, mopane woodland habitat, and a rain storm that had us reconsidering the decision to not tarp our equipment, we arrived in Palmfontein. It is an odd place, because situated in the middle of a core wildlife area, there are settlements with people, their pets and livestock, and even the occasional helicopter roaring through. Round River’s usual campsite was occupied with a herd of elephants, according to local word of mouth, so we decided to find a different location for camp because of this wildlife activity. We drove through the center of the settlement area in Palmfontein and palm trees began to appear on the horizon. All of a sudden, I became aware that we are in Palmfontein. We made it to Palm Springs!
Makalani palms and the spring
These makalani palms are naturally growing in the northern region of Namibia. Here, they are growing near a spring that runs adjacent to our camp. It makes for a beautiful and surreal landscape that is unlike anything that surrounds it for miles. We stay here for three excitement filled days. The first day, when we arrive, there is a rain storm while we are trying to cook dinner. The second day is our last day of vehicular game monitoring. On this day, we also observe helicopters flying through camp. The game guards helping us with our field work explain that they are de-horning black rhinos in an effort to reduce the poaching that has been occurring recently. We also visit a sandier area of the spring to cool down, do some birding, and take a break from our daily studying. This peaceful period of relaxation in our day is interrupted by another downpour that forces us to rush back to camp and ensure the rain-flies on our tents are secured. Not surprisingly, the storm is over by the time we reach camp, so we spend the rest of our day making friends with a local goat and domestic dog.
Sam is frequently referred to as the animal whisperer, and our second day in Palmfontein is a perfect example of his abilities. First, a goat comes roaming through camp. Sam has to do a little convincing, but eventually she lies down and allows him to pet her. We decide that Daisy is a fitting name for her and she stays all night in our camp, while the other goats in her herd are nowhere to be seen.
Sam with Daisy
After Daisy, a dog we named Cody comes through camp. Bekah has a special way with dogs. Cody runs straight towards her and she pets him and gives him some water to drink. He lies by her side all night until she goes to bed.
Our last day at Palmfontein was filled with bittersweet activities and feelings. We take down our last tent city and leave our last field camp for Wereldsend once again. Although field work is over, we still have a few weeks left in the program to enjoy spontaneous game drives and coastal fun.
“tent city”