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Conservation project in South Africa

Our Conservation Project is the ultimate Big 5 "Bush and Beach" experience, where you get the opportunity to get hands-on involved in conservation management as well as exploring South Africa's amazing coastline.

Plunge into a hands-on conservation project in one of South Africa's most scenic Big 5 game reserves. While getting involved in every aspect of conservation management on the reserve, you will grow your skills in conservation and have the experience of a lifetime. Your work will include habitat rehabilitation; elephant impact monitoring, game counts, telemetry tracking of lions and much more. If conservation management on a reserve in Africa is your interest, then this is the project for you!

While volunteering you may see yourself as an 'Assistant Conservation Manager'. All the work done and data collected by you will be utilized by the reserve's Conservation Department. As a volunteer you therefore derive a good deal of satisfaction from your work, as your efforts directly contribute to improving the reserve. Some of the activities may be hard physical work, and a certain level of determination from your side will be required. All we require is that you help with the tasks to the best of your abilities and to do everything with lots of enthusiasm. As long as you try your best, it is good enough for us!

Conservation Management:
These activities form a large part of the volunteer program. The reserve's needs at the time are taken into account and as a volunteer you will help to fulfil those needs. Management activities could include: game counts, soil erosion control, reserve clean-up operations, road maintenance, habitat rehabilitation, alien vegetation control and parasite control for animals.

Research Projects:

* One of our long term research projects is elephant impact monitoring. This involves monitoring elephant movement patterns, range utilization and vegetation impact with the aid of telemetry.
* You'll aid in elephant identification BY recording each elephant's unique ear markings.
* Lion and hyena tracking with the aid of telemetry as certain lions on the reserve are fitted with radio collars.
* The Birds in Reserves Project (BIRP) involves preparing a catalogue of the birds, their numbers and their breeding status in the reserve.

Other Activities:

* Bush walks and game drives: identifying and studying mammals, plants and birds and their behaviour.
* Capturing of wild animals: only when required by the reserve. Recent volunteers had the opportunity to assist with giraffe, rhino and elephant capture.
* Game introduction: when required by the reserve. We recently released hyena back into the area.
* Fire management: important for savannah ecosystems (depending on the time of year and fire regimes).
* Camping out in the bush and sleeping around a campfire under the African sky.
* Coastal systems ecology involves fun time on the beach while learning about the ecology of rocky shores.

Community Development Project:
Our volunteers assist at a local rural farm school as part of our community outreach project (normally one day a week). Our help is in the form of teaching, giving sport lessons and helping with maintenance of the school's facilities. Come and make a real difference!

Theory:
Each volunteer will receive their own booklet that can be kept. The booklet is carefully compiled and will aid you during your stay. Informal lectures will be given on specific topics throughout your stay. The four main subjects that will be explored, are outlined in the booklet and are namely: Principles of conservation; Field skills and survival; Habitat management; Game management

Duration

Visa required: If staying less than 90 days free "Visitors Visa" obtainable on arrival. If staying longer than 90 days, applicant must arrange for own visa for duration of stay in South Africa. Any Closure Dates (public or school holidays): * 16 Jun 08 - 29 Jun 08 (2 weeks) * 15 Sep 08 - 28 Sep 08 (2 weeks) * 22 Dec 08 - 11 Jan 09 (3 weeks)

Requirements

* Minimum age 18 yrs
* No specific animal care skills are required, as all training will be given on site. Volunteers need to be reasonably fit and able to be out all day - there is hard physical work!
* Volunteers should not be pregnant.
* The greatest attribute you can posses is flexibility and a willingness to get involved.
* International volunteers are welcome.