The Naturalism School ventured into the "warm heart of Africa,"

The Naturalism School ventured into the "warm heart of Africa," into one of the southernmost sections of the Great Rift Valley. There, one must look down, into the depths of the earth and water.

It is not just a fracture in the Earth's crust; it is one of the most active "factories" of evolution on the planet. At the center of this geological scar lies Lake Malawi, an underwater evolutionary laboratory, home to more species of fish than all the lakes and rivers of Europe combined.

The Rift Valley creates a mosaic of ecosystems, with an impressive diversity of living organisms, so captivated by its beauty that naturalist David Livingstone called it the "Lake of Stars" during his expedition in September 1859. Like Livingstone, naturalist and explorer Rodney Carrington Wood was one of the first to describe the flora and fauna, traversing the Shire River region and the Mulanje Mountains, documenting species on an epic journey that began in 1911. His field notes helped to establish that Malawi was not just a stopover for explorers, but a unique biodiversity sanctuary within the Great Rift Valley.