In this Peace Parks TV episode, we meet Ferias Mabunda, Caretaker in Zinave National Park in Mozambique. He holds an extraordinary wealth of knowledge about the park’s potent, and versatile, plant life. This understanding has served him in his practice as a traditional healer for many years.
“My father was also a traditional healer. Luckily, before he died in 1966, he had already shared his knowledge of medicinal plants with me,” says Mabunda, showing us one of his commonly used botanicals.
Healing Traditions
Paul Dutton, Ecologist and Author, explains: “Many years ago, when Dr Soto (Regional Manager, South, for Peace Parks) was suffering asthma, Mabunda brought us right here and showed us this wonderful plant called Salvadora persica.” Once crushed, the aroma from its leaves is inhaled to soothe breathing problems; Dr Soto can attest to its healing powers.
Conservation at scale is a delicate, finely tuned process whereby native plants and animals, people, and their traditional practices, must be both respected and protected. Preserving cultural heritage and local knowledge is crucial, honouring the rich tapestry of human history and identity, and offering a window into the roots of different communities. With the passing of time and changes in the use of natural resources from one generation to the next, acknowledging traditional practices alongside new conservation approaches throughout southern Africa’s rural areas is invaluable.
Past, Present, Future
In partnership with Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas, Peace Parks is jointly managing, restoring and developing Zinave National Park. Over time, there has been a remarkable transition from a silent park, devoid of life, to a vibrant ecosystem, bursting with wildlife across a reawakened landscape, boasting more than 200 tree and over 40 grass species.
The development of the park is giving focus to intensified engagement with the local communities living adjacent to and inside the park area, and it is extremely gratifying for Peace Parks’ teams to be able to learn about their values and experiences. We are immensely grateful to all those who have followed the park on its conservation journey, and who continue to share their local knowledge to keep its history alive as we invest in its future.
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