20-20 Foresight.

MADAGASCAR IS THE HOME OF 6 OF THE 9 SPECIES OF BAOBAB

So, as I've somewhat alluded to in previous posts, Madagascar is home to a plethora of unique, endemic species (plants and animals that aren't found anywhere else in the world). Baobab trees; these massive, living pillars; are one of those many species. Yes, there *are* Baobab elsewhere in Africa and Australia, but the majority of the 9 variants of the tree call Madagascar home. 

The Malagasy word for the baobab is "renala" which means, "Mother of the forest. The "Avenue of the Baobab" is a rather famous region where these trees remain the last vestige of a once dense rainforest. Some of the baobab here are 800 years old. 800!! Fortunately, the Malagasy have great respect for the hulking giants, and preserved them when the rest of the forest was cleared for agriculture and development. Although they are not officially protected, NGOs are working to secure their future and prevent any further de-forestatino in the area.