When the Agabama dam appears before us after two kilometers of walking, we know we have trespassed a threshold. Soon enough, everything that is known and documented will be left behind. This looks like an abandoned site, filled with untold stories and treasures yet to be discovered. Part of the upper slope of the stream collapsed after a flood of the dam, and beyond this point the stream disappears in cluster of ponds where some fishes aim to survive.
The drought at this time of the year leaves a trail of dry branches everywhere and a grey soil where calcium salts accumulate after water evaporates. This is particularly bad for R. coronopifolius. In fact, previous attempts of propagating the species using traditional methods have failed because it is very difficult to control the humidity of the soil. Since we cannot increase the chances of rain either, the challenge stands. “There must be something we can do to increase their survival in the wild“. Holding on to that thought, we continued upstream.