Ever Green, Ever Growing

Anyone else feel like they’ve been in a timewarp the last couple months? How is it the first week of June already?

Alas, the beginning of June it is, and that means I’m roughly six weeks late on my annual blog reviewing the progress of Angama Mara’s environs over the last year.

Looking at last year’s review, I think part of the reason I delayed writing this blog back in April, as is the annual tradition, is because of how far we’ve come. Just look at North Camp Guest Area – by last year, photographs taken from the same position four years earlier were completely obscured by foliage. No use repeating those images this year – the foliage is even thicker. It’d just be a review of the differences of trees leaves or shades of green.

North Camp Guest Area 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019

One photo taken in 2015 remains as a worthwhile reference point: the Pool Pavilion. In the last few years, we’ve had to evolve the directions we give our guests to find the Pavilion, as more landmarks become obscured by trees and shrubs. And keep an eye on this space, as there will be some more noticeable landscaping changes here between now and next year.

Pool Pavilion 2015

Pool Pavilion 2016

Pool Pavilion 2020

In 2018, we introduced two new reference images, both taken from our Shamba: one from the Garden of Remembrance, and one from the corner of the Shamba (Zone 5 – the ‘Maasai Pharmacy’) showing the majority of the acre we use for growing food. It’s nice to see some growth of the trees in the Garden of Remembrance; but full disclosure, they experienced a couple of setbacks last year as elephants broke the fence down and raided this area, taking noticeable elephantine nibbles from each sapling.

Garden of Remembrance 2018

Garden of Remembrance 2020

And the Shamba, my goodness, it is looking so green and productive at the moment, especially the medicinal plant garden in the immediate foreground (though the manyatta is in desperate need of some roof repairs after the torrential and extended rainy season we’ve just made it through).

Shamba 2018

Shamba 2020

Last year, we introduced another two new reference photos: one of the North Camp entrance to the Guest Area, and one of South Camp taken from atop The Angama Photographic Studio. It may not be as dramatic of a change, but it’s another baseline for years to come, and even in the last year you can see some noticeable growth in both areas.

North Camp Entrance 2019 & 2020

South Camp Tents 2019 & 2020

Lastly, some new photos: another from the Garden of Remembrance, showing a different perspective that will more noticeably reveal the trees’ growth year over year, and of where, by this time next year, our new and much-anticipated Map Room will be in place – proving that along with the plants, shrubs, and trees, Angama is also continuously maturing.

Garden of Remembrance 2020

Proposed Map Room Site 2020