Kristina Makeeva. Socotra.

Socotra - a unique place on earth where trees bleed.

Socotra is a Yemeni-owned island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia.
It is one of the world's most isolated archipelagos of continental (i.e. non-volcanic) origin; it separated from Africa about 6 million years ago.

The long geological and biological isolation of Socotra and the peculiarities of the climate (intense heat and drought, hurricane seasonal monsoons from May to September, noticeable climate softening in the winter months, as well as special climatic conditions in mountainous regions) have formed a unique flora and fauna on the archipelago. For this reason, Socotra is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main threat to Socotra's nature is represented by alien species, climate change, and anthropogenic impact (including those associated with farm animals). It is known that goats eat young shoots of bottle trees and the dragon tree, which harms the endemics of Socotra.

One of the most famous endemic plants of Socotra, its symbol is Dracaena cinnabari, which looks like a mushroom up to 10 meters high with a green cap. From the bark of this tree, when cut, red sap begins to flow, which quickly solidifies; Since ancient times, local residents have used the resulting crimson gum for medical, veterinary and cosmetic purposes.

Socotra is like Jurassic Park.

Kristina Makeeva is a photographer, author of the global project "Simple Magic Things", a seeker of magic in the ordinary. Developed as a photographer for 14 years. During this time, there have been exhibitions and publications, collaborations with global brands, for example, with Adobe Photoshop, global hotel chains, clothing brands, but Kristina is extremely negligent in collecting and storing information about this, fanatically taking pictures and talking about the beauty around us and traveling the world in search of even greater beauty. The last exhibition was held in Seoul.

Follow Kristina on Instagram @hobopeeba.