On Wednesday Emily and I were invited to join Thorsten and Kerstin (other missionaries with AIM) for a hike around Avis Dam. I always love any opportunity to be out in nature. It made me miss hiking through my beloved Smokies! We really enjoyed getting to know Thorsten and Kerstin and seeing all the other people (and dogs!) enjoy the beautiful day. I'll definitely have to make Avis Dam a regular place to visit when I just want to get away from the busyness of city life. ;)

The following information about Avis Dam is taken from http://www.avisdam.org.

The Avis dam was constructed in the South African colonial period and completed by the then SWA Administration for the Windhoek Municipality in 1933. The dam overflowed for the first time during the floods of April 1934, but has since exceeded 75% of its capacity during only four rainy seasons, the last one in March 1997. The Avis dam area is located in semi-arid savanna and is composed of three main landforms:
· slopes and ridges of the foothills of the Eros and Auas mountains,
· riverbeds and
· floodplain with dam, comprising an attractive setting of comparatively unspoilt nature.

At present the dam and surrounding area house a representative example of ‘Highland Savanna’ flora and fauna, and provide valuable habitat for birds, mammals and other species.