Botanical exploration is an integral part of our work at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. It connects us to remote and little known parts of southern Africa where we bring back herbarium specimens and material for cultivation. The collections are documented and each plant receives a dedicated number, the reference to all its details. They are then classified, studied and propagated for ornamental, conservation, educational, display or research purposes. Did you know that most ornamental garden plants today were first introduced from botanical gardens? The Kaokoveld (in the Kunene Region) is situated in the north-western corner of Namibia where the Baynes Mountains are perhaps the most conspicuous feature. In the west the Kaokoveld is bordered by the cold Atlantic Ocean, in the north the mighty Kunene River, to the east the Ruacana-Kamanjab road and in the south the Hoanib River at Sesfontein. Inhabited by the Otjivahimba people, it is one of the last wilderness areas in southern Africa. No fences restrict the elephants and other wild animals that still walk free.