The power of the sun changes the seasons, transforming our planet. Vast areas of ocean and air currents make dramatic changes throughout the year. In some special places, these seasonal changes create some of the most spectacular events in the world. Every year in Botswana Africa, in the desert lands of the Kalahari, a miraculous transformation occurs in the Okavango Delta. During the month of June, when the land is held firmly in the grip of Africa's dry winter season, a flood of life-giving water transforms an unforgiving desert into an aquatic paradise, known as the Okavango. Large herds travel across the land for months, anticipating an event that will ultimately save their lives. When and where the Okavango flows will affect the lives of millions of animals, creating one of nature's most astonishing events. When the flood comes, it transforms the land into a watery paradise teeming with many different types of wildlife. For some, the flood is an absolute paradise such as crocodiles, hippos, sitatunga and even herds of elephants, while others face unusual conditions such as cheetahs, giraffes, lions and others. In the heart of southern Africa lies the Kalahari Desert. It covers nearly 400,000 square miles, stretching across much of Botswana and parts of South Africa and Namibia. Rainfall is low, plants are less productive than in other parts of Africa, nutrients are scarce, and the Kalahari Desert is one of the driest places on earth. Yet large herds survive in the Okavango. They have a nomadic existence, traveling great distances in search of food and water. When the dry season starts, it won't rain for 8 months, so life, already tough, is about to get tougher. The secret of the Okavango flood... center of the map... the center of a desert, the Okavango flood creates a paradise like no other in all of Africa. ReferencesHolding, M. (2009) Nature's Great Events. London: University of Chicago Press. Keen, C. (1997). Physical geography of the most important places. Retrieved 1/4/13 from http://www.greatestplaces.org/notes/okavango.htmWolskia, P., Savenijeb, H.H.G., Murray-Hudsona, M., & Gumbricht, M. (2006). Flood modeling in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, using a hybrid reservoir-GIS model. Retrieved 3/4/13 from ftp://168.167.30.140/Mosimanyana/Okavango_Research_Papers/My%20Disc/Del ta%20Models/Wolski_Modelling%20of%20the%20flooding%20in%20the%20O kavango%20Delta.pdfOosterbaan, RJ, Kortenhorst, L. F., & Sprey, L. H. (1986). Crop development due to flooding and recession in the Molapo of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Retrieved 3/29/13 http://www.waterlog.info/pdf/molapos.pdf