After the April, 2005 presentation of the paper "From Forestry to Soil Conservation: British Tree Management in Lesotho's Grassland Ecosystem" by Kate Showers at the Institute of Southern African Studies, National University of Lesotho, the question was asked: "What has been the effect of all of this tree planting on our grassland ecosystems?"

A collaborative inter-disciplinary research team funded by the Leverhulme Trust was formed in January 2007 to look for answers. Dr. Taelo Letsela, Head, Department of Biology, National University of Lesotho, Dr. Tumelo Tsikoane, Department of Development Studies, National University of Lesotho, and Dr. Kate B. Showers, Research Fellow, Department of Geography and Centre for World Environmental History, University of Sussex bring to the team academic backgrounds in agronomy, biology, conservation biology, development studies, history and soil science. The project's Principal Investigator, Dr. Donald C. Funnell, Department of Geography, and Director, Centre for Culture, Environment and Development, University of Sussex, will provide geographical perspectives.