SAVING TAHINA — YOU CAN HELP
PalmTalk (the public forum of the International Palm Society) is initiating a program to preserve Tahina spectabilis, an endangered palm that PalmTalk brought to the world’s attention in 2007. The discovery of this enormous, new palm generated worldwide interest, but now due to its extremely limited and fragile range in Madagascar, Tahina needs our help.
Please donate today!
Virtual hiking on Reunion Island, lowlands edition
This article continues the “virtual hike” and tour of Reunion’s palms that began in last month’s News-letter. This month, we explore the palms and landscapes of the low to middle elevations.
We begin by traveling to the windward eastern coast of the island, just south of Piton-Sainte-Rose, to ramble in Anse des Cascades. This idyllic cove is situated among groves of palm trees. The park is cool and shady. Other non-palm (gasp!) sights include local islanders enjoying picnics, waterfalls (cascades) gently tumbling down basalt rock, and colorful fishing boats bringing the daily catch. It is here that we will encounter Acanthophoenix rubra. This species, once abundant, is no longer found in the wild. In fact, A. rubra at Anse des Cascades represent the oldest trees of this species on the entire Island.