Escaping the Heat ~ and the Crowds

With thousands of Moroccans crowding the beaches and the seaside towns such as Essaouira or up in the hills in Ifrane or Chefchaouen (see story here), The View from Fez went searching for the perfect combination of cooler weather and tranquility. We found the answer just over 80 Kilometres from Fez, at Auberge Ain Sahla

With twenty rooms and both indoor and outdoor dining areas, Ain Sahla is the perfect base for exploring the Jebel Tazzeka National Park. The architecture appears to be the offspring of a wonderfully whimsical marriage between Hobbits and Gaudi. There are numerous terraces with spectacular views as well as a perfectly maintained pool and (surprisingly) a small walled soccer field complete with goal nets!

Set beside the National Park, the area abounds with interesting flora and fauna, including the largest black bumblebees we have come across. For those with good eyesight there are also chameleons and a variety of lizards.

A large black bumblebee feasting on lantana flowers

A well disguised chameleon

The generous breakfasts and evening meals are all prepared onsite from local ingredients. The cooking is done on charcoal and wood fired grills and Berber ovens. In addition, the gardens are full of fruit trees with pomegranates, figs, citrus and grapes. With the wonderful Berber hospitality, guests are free to sample fruit straight from the trees.

All the cooking uses traditional methods and utensils

THE TAZEKKA NATIONAL PARK

The Tazekka National Park is only a few minutes drive from the auberge and offers spectacular scenery and a variety of walks and cave experiences.

Amongst the main attractions of the National Park are the Friouato caves (Arabic: مغارة فريواطو‎), better known by their French name Gouffre de Friouato.

The farthest explored point in the cave system is about 272 meters, but its real limits are still mysterious. However, some locals believe that it is about 3.5 kilometres in length. Be aware that climbing down and then up again does require a certain stamina. (See our story here.)

At the end of a day of exploration, returning to the auberge for a cool drink, a swim and some fine food, is the perfect conclusion.

Ain Sahla Website

Photographs: Suzanna Clarke & Sandy McCutcheon

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Mass Moroccan Migration - on wings.

Morocco's loss is the UK's gain. Hundreds of thousands of Moroccans have begun arriving in the South East of England, but not on planes or tour buses. These tourists are butterflies from the High Atlas region of Morocco.

Unusually high numbers of Painted Lady butterflies have been arriving in the Uk according to reports from around the area. Wildlife photographer Kerry King said enthusiasts recently managed to spot nearly 3,000 in about 45 minutes.

The Butterfly Conservation Trust said the species, which has orange, black and white-spotted wings, was becoming increasingly common across the UK. Moroccan Painted Lady butterflies migrate to Europe seeking cooler temperatures each year.

Mild weather

Mr King said: "In a space of about 45 minutes, we counted nearly 3,000 of these butterflies which is quite incredible.The Painted Lady is not a British butterfly. It migrates to this country. This year, because we've had mild weather conditions and I should imagine the wind has been perfect for them, we have seen this abundance of Painted Lady butterflies which is absolutely just swarming across the South East."

The Butterfly Conservation Trust said that both the Painted Lady butterfly and Humming-bird Hawk-moth were arriving from Morocco and becoming increasingly common in the UK.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Endangered toad research in Morocco

Yes, we know this sounds strange, but today some good news about the Moroccan spadefoot toad!

Three researchers from the University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein in the Netherlands, Philip de Pous, Diederik Dingemans and Eric van der Pol,have a keen interest in amphibian conservation.

After ten weeks of research in Morocco, they decided to write a blog on their current project: “Ecology and conservational status of Pelobates varaldii from the coastal areas of Morocco”. The aim of this study is to research the ecology, phylogenetics and conservational status (distribution and threats) of the Moroccan spadefoot toad (Pelobates varaldii). Pelobates varaldii is currently ranked number 36 in the Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) top 100 list.

And the news from the ponds of Morocco is good.

During the first weeks in the field we discovered to our great excitement that Pelobates varaldii is still very abundant within the constraints of Mamora forest. Tadpoles were present in almost every temporary pond we have visited during the course of our research. Until now we have measured and photographed approximately 150 adult individuals, which provided us with valuable data concerning their population demography and morphological characteristics, of which now only very scarce data is available.

To read more on this fascinating research, visit the EDGE Blog


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Scorpion stings in Morocco

Recently we published a story on snakebites in Morocco and had several emails asking about scorpions and whether they were a problem. The answer is a big YES.

According to figures from the Moroccan Centre national antipoison et de pharmacovigilance (CAPM) (poisons and drug monitoring center) scorpion stings kill about 100 under 15s every year, in a total of some 30,000 cases of scorpion poisoning documented yearly in Morocco. There is a particular danger between July and August each year. It should also be noted that over 60 percent of stings are at night.

To stem this scourge, a nationwide campaign themed "Together Save our Children from Death from Scorpion Stings," was launched on Friday in the city of Essaouira. It is aiming at reducing the mortality rateby 30%.

Initiated by the CAPM, the campaign will be carried out under the aegis of the Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Province of Essaouira, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Research and the Protection of Argan Trees, and NGOs. Essaouira is the area that produces 4.6% of all scorpion-related incidents reported in Morocco. Scorpions claimed the lives of 528 people between 2001 and 2006.

Speaking on the occasion, king’s advisor and chairman of the Foundation, André Azoulay, stressed the need to fight scorpion stings in the city.

According to figures of the CAPM, 91 people died in 2006 of scorpion stings, compared to 98 in 2005 and 93 in 2004. Scorpion stings are the primary cause of 50 to 60 % of documented poisoning cases in Morocco.

Morocco has more than 30 kinds of yellow and black scorpions. The latter remain the most dangerous, according to CAPM. There is an interesting abstract here: scorpions.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Visitors in the Medina

From time to time The View from Fez does a feature on visitors to the Medina, sometimes new residents, sometimes interesting tourists. Now, while we failed to get an interview with yesterday's guest, we did get some photographs.

Pieris brassicae brassicae
(Click on images to enlarge)

At first glance we thought it might have been the beautiful Gonepteryx cleopatra (pictured below), but the colour of the abdomen let us down. Our visitor is(so we are told) as common as muck! Yep... It's a cabbage butterfly. Oh well, we hope later in the year to get a shot of an Atlas Blue....


For those interested in Moroccan lepidoptera, we suggest you check out the beautiful photographs by Jean Delacre.


Photo credits: Pieris brassicae brassicae: Sandy McCutcheon Gonepteryx cleopatra: Jean Delacre


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Scorpions in Morocco

Here is a quick test. How many different types of scorpion do you think are native to Morocco?

Well, the number certainly surpised me - Morocco counts more than 30 kinds of yellow and black scorpions. And, a word of warning, the black ones are deadly.

How deadly? Well according to the latest figures from CAPM (Centre Antipoison et de Pharmacologie du Maroc), 91 people died in 2006 due to scorpion stings, compared to 98 in 2005 and 93 in 2004.

Scorpion stings are alsothe primary cause of 50 to 60 % of intoxication cases being documented in Morocco, said Ghizlane El Oufir a doctor with CAPM . He was speaking at an awareness-raising day to control scorpion stings in Argan tree farms.

Children under 15 make up 95 % of deaths, she explained, noting that 4 out of 1,000 die of scorpion stings.

Scorpion stings are a grave and recurrent problem, especially in the province of Essaouira, where they represents 4.6% of all scorpion-related incidents reported in Morocco. Scorpions claimed the lives of 528 people between 2001 and 2006.

So, if you are in the Essaouira area we suggest don't go looking under rocks.



Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Little known facts about Morocco #4577

Today, the answer to the burning issue that has been keeping you awake at night - why is it so hard to get young Cypress trees to grow? Well the answer is Lavender and symbiotic fungi.

Lavender and Mushrooms.

According to the latest research by the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpment, the Cypress tree has a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi.

Mycorrhizae are symbiotic associations that form between the roots of most plant species and fungi. These symbioses are characterized by bi-directional movement of nutrients where carbon flows to the fungus and inorganic nutrients move to the plant, thereby providing a critical linkage between the plant root and soil. In infertile soils, nutrients taken up by the mycorrhizal fungi can lead to improved plant growth and reproduction. As a result, mycorrhizal plants are often more competitive and better able to tolerate environmental stresses than are non-mycorrhizal plants. In the case of the Cypress, the micro-fungi that helps the tree's roots uptake water, nitrogen, and phosphorous from the surrounding soil.

But wait - there's more!

In the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, several species of lavender and thyme are also associated with Cypress. These shrubs appear to enhance soil productivity, which in turn, helps spur growth of Cypress trees. All of which turns out to be the key to Cypress reforestation in Morocco. Cypress reforestation efforts are unsuccessful without the dual cultivation with lavender and fungi.

"Increased understanding of the process of natural regeneration of cypress trees has allowed the application of this new method of replanting of this species in the Moroccan High Atlas," claims the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement "In the sites that must be re-wooded, bands of lavender were planted in strips of earth built up perpendicularly to the slope so as to retain water. The cypress saplings were planted the following year. The first results confirm the beneficial role lavender has on these young plantations: their mortality after one year proves to be very low and soil erosion remains limited."

The researchers next plan to look at the role of other shrubs in creating optimal growing conditions for other tree species.

While we are on about Cypress....

Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov has ordered a forest planted to change his desert nation's climate - the latest of the autocratic leader's elaborate projects that include an artificial lake and an ice palace. Niyazov said that the new "millennial" cypress forest will cover an area of 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles).

Last time The View from Fez checked, desert covered 80 percent of Turkmenistan 's territory and summer temperatures reached 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

"The climate will improve considerably if we do that," Niyazov told a Cabinet meeting that was televised Tuesday. "The cypress tree, lives a thousand years. This will be a millennial forest."

He said that each ministry will have an allocated area where it will have to plant a certain number of trees within three years. The 20-kilometer (12-mile) -wide and 50-kilometer (31-mile) -long forest outside the capital Ashgabat must grow by 2015, Niyazov said.

Niyazov also ordered that the construction of an artificial lake in the middle of the Kara Kum desert that began in 2001 be sped up.

"We need to finish the construction of the Turkmen lake and start filling it with water. This will change the flora, nature and boost livestock breeding," he said.

An ice palace is being built near the capital under Niyazov's orders. Last year he expressed an interest in building a ski resort.

We wish him well with his plans and hope he reads the info about lavender and mushrooms.

UPDATE: Damn! I knew we shouldn't have wished Niyazov well - he died a couple of weeks ago. Our thanks for the very quick blogger, BO18, who informed us of the tragic news! So, as Niyazov has checked out, check out BO18 instead.

PREVIOUS LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Little known facts about Morocco #4576!

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news