Quiver trees against the night sky. This is an image that I had pre-envisaged. I wanted to see the iconic quiver trees, and Augrabies Falls National Park is such a stunning place to see them in situ. They are an alien-looking plant, and that feeling is exemplified by taking this image against the stars. The low human population density makes Northern Cape a great region for dark-skies. A long-exposure enabled blurring of the cloud movement. The characteristic Quiver trees (Kokerboom; Aloe dichotoma in foreground Aloe pillansii [Bastard quiver tree in background) is a product of evolutionary adaptation to the arid desert climate of the region. It is not a true tree but a succulent plant. The name ‘quiver tree’ is derived from the San people, or Bushmen, who use the branches to make quivers to house their poison arrows. The quiver tree is classed as vulnerable by the IUCN and the bastard quiver tree as critically endangered. Both species are likely suffering due to climate change; with the bastard quiver tree showing little reproduction in the last 100 years - and therefore an ageing population. To find out more about the quiver tree visit http://www.arkive.org/quiver-tree/aloe-dichotoma/, and for the bastard quiver tree visit http://www.arkive.org/bastard-quiver-tree/aloe-pillansii/.
Location: Augrabies Falls National Park, Northern Cape, South Africa
Photographer: Jason Gilchrist
