SAPPI Tree Spotting Lifer List: Balkwill, Boon, Coates Palgrave, Glen, Jordaan, Lotter, Schimdt, Thomas

This edition of the Tree spotting series that is designed to enhance this fast-growing eco-hobby in southern Africa. The Tree-spotter can record memorable meetings with trees – be they the first for each of the 1300 species listed, thereby creating the lifer-list of the title – or be they by Habitat, Ecozone or Biome – or even by province or holiday/recreation destination. It has long been a habit of birders to gloat about 180 species in Kruger ticked off over one long weekend in summer – now Tree Spotters can compete on equal terms! Over the past decade there has been a movement in southern Africa to ‘rationalise’ the common names of both birds and trees. The list is easy to understand, accurate, politically sensitive in an environment of changing names and gives preference to more descriptive names, to be used by all wanting to identity and name species: Growers of indigenous trees; nurseries stocking indigenous trees; botanical gardens; departments of parks and grounds; training institutions and environmental educators; publishers of botanical listings; nature reserves; avid tree lovers.