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DISCOVER CONSERVATION! WILDLIFE COURSE

THIS COURSE IS EXCELLENT. IT'S AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND EXPERIENCE HOW TO CONSERVE AFRICAN WILDLIFE - Practical Fieldwork on Nature Reserves on the management and conservation of African Wildlife

These courses can be done for 2 weeks, 4 weeks, or 8-weeks and consist of practical work on a selection of Game Reserves where you'll learn practical conservation skills. The information given below is based on the 8-week course.

The management and conservation of our wildlife and the environment is very important. Without these components, life would simply not be able to sustain itself. It is therefore important to gain the correct insight and knowledge into CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT.

"Just two days ago we had the opportunity to see the same team of guys capturing two White Rhino with the vet which I am sure that most of us will never have the chance to see again. Being literally feet away from these huge beasts is just breathtaking. Very cool."  Volunteer's Report

"The hardest part of this month has been saying goodbye to everyone. Unfortunately we have to leave tomorrow and our attempts to get people to adopt or marry us so we can stay have proved unsuccessful. Once you get here you will never want to leave as it is so wonderful.Volunteers' Course Report

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South Africa, Sun, Surf and Sea, where you can do voluntary projects in teaching, care work, work experience, conservation, sports, and much more!
Mom rhino and baby being viewed from a vehicle while on the African Wildlife Course

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THE AFRICAN WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION COURSE

These courses are based about 8 km outside Alicedale and have been developed to educate people worldwide about the importance of conservation and how to manage wildlife and its natural environment. The courses cover many different areas of conservation and wildlife management, depending on the length of course you choose. For example, the 8-week course includes:

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  • South Africa and African cultures

  • Conservation

  • Plants

  • Animals

  • Animal behaviour

  • Interactions and interrelationships in nature

  • Camping and Trails

  • Orientation skills

  • Mammal, bird, insect, reptile and plant identification

  • Spoor identification and tracking skills

  • Wildlife research, data collection and scientific methodology

  • Animal diseases

  • Game reserve establishment and maintenance

  • You will receive an African Global Conservation Academy certificate on completion of the course

DATES FOR 2007
8-week ‘Wildlife Management & Conservation’ course:
9 July – 31 Aug
3 Sept – 26 October
29 October – 21 December

4-week ‘Introduction to Conservation’ Course: (includes a Bush Survival course):
9 July –5 Aug
3 Sept –30 Sept
29 October –25 Nov

2-week ‘Conservation Discovery’ course: (does NOT include a Bush Survival course)
9 July –22 July
3 Sept –16 Sept
29 October –11 Nov

Brief Summary of likely Contents and Outcomes of the Course:
(If you'd like to read a detailed breakdown of the various sections of the course, please
click here.

1.  Orientation
2.  General Knowledge
3.  Conservation
4.  Knowledge of Animals
5.  Knowledge of Plants
6.  Interactions and interrelationships in nature
7.  Camping and Trails

The above should give you some indication as to the contents of the course.

The experience will focus on the practical components allowing you plenty opportunity to apply your knowledge from the classroom and to have good fun doing so.

Local cultural involvement is a key part of the programme, this will be achieved by assisting the local schools and communities in their projects (students have found that bringing discarded clothes and shoes, like trainers and school stationary are gratefully received by the community), some eco education work at Born Free on Shamwari.

An opportunity to do an amazing Wild Coast African Heartland trail (highly recommended) is available mid way through the programme.

Read Volunteers' Feedback of the Course, plus a description of "A Typical Day" - it will give you a good 'feel' of what you can learn and experience on this very worthwhile and enlightening Course.

Certification:
Although the FGASA 1 Certification is currently available, this situation will change in the near future and it will be replaced with a similar qualification in accordance with the South African Qualifications Authority at the time (anticipated to be a National Qualification Framework (NQF) and the modules will count towards a B Tech Conservation Diploma and degree (at first and second year level).

At time of writing, the cost of sitting these exams, the First Aid Course and Registration is not included in the cost of the course. If you wish to take the exams, you will need to pay for them. The current cost is R850 (about £72 or US$132, based on the exchange rate at time of writing).


Volunteers on the course, with Course Leader Wayne Vos (left)

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"On one day we went and saw a traditional Xhosa dancing display which was fascinating and a cultural highlight! On one of our weekends we went to Cintsa and took a day trip to the Transkei. This was really great, we went cliff diving, visited a traditional Xhosa village, had a taste of some traditional stomach ache medicine which was brewed on the spot for us by a witch doctor. We then finished off the tour on the cliffs watching the whales and the sun set over the Indian Ocean whilst drinking a cold beer!!" Volunteer's Report, August 2005


Photo taken during an educational trip - one of a selection that you may go on during the course.

HOURS OF WORK AND TYPICAL DAY

You’ll generally be working on week days but also sometimes at weekends. Days generally start at 08h00, finishing roughly 18h00. The work can be quite physical at times, with hiking for up to around 3 hours, so you need to be fairly fit and healthy.

A typical day might be something like the following, but please note that this can and will change at different times on the course:
 

  • Up in time for breakfast at 07h15,

  • 08h00 briefing of day’s activities, equipment check;

  • 08h30 leave for Reserve, checking game on route and also learning and being tested on fauna and flora.

  • 09h00 start work on monitoring game movements, evaluating the type and quality of vegetation.

  • 12h00 move to lunch site in the bush,

  • 13h30 do anti erosion work, taking out alien bush, packing run off zones.

  • 15h00 start trip home doing game spotting.

  • 16h00 return to accommodation, discuss the day and what was learnt and forewarned of what might happen tomorrow.

  • Supper at 18h30

Then off to local pub, play pool, email, or relax. You can go to bed whenever you want, but your Course Leader will recommend a suitable bed time based on what the next day’s activities will be.

"We had an even better experience watching a herd of over 50 elephants with newly born calves!"

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YOUR ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation will vary, depending on the activities and also on other circumstances on the ground, but will likely be as follows for periods during the course:

As befits an African Wildlife course, you will be camping out in the bush in tented accommodation, but these are no ordinary 2-man pup-tents. They are large and fairly luxurious, with proper beds and small verandas out front where you can sit in the evening and look out at the beautiful views.

You’ll share a tent with 1 to 3 other people and there is a shower and ablutions block on the site, as well as a kitchen.

The camp is situated in a small valley with ridges on either side. There is a river running through and the site is very African and beautiful. It is very rustic with a mixture of tents and thatched stone buildings for the lecture room, kitchen and ablution block.

The camp is located on a working farm, part of which is given over to wildlife as a conservation reserve. This means that you could be woken up in the morning to the sounds of cattle lowing, or you could stroll around and see buck and other smaller wildlife roaming in the bushes close to your camp.

As our September/October volunteers said, "Living in this truly wilderness camp is wonderful (although the road into it is a tad bumpy). Waking to the sound of birds singing and nothing else is bliss. Having the opportunity to see the night sky in all its glory without the light pollution is an opportunity seldom presented in the UK. A visit to the 5 star lodges in Shamwari Game Reserve was great but they are not as special or private as our wilderness camp. Food on camp is splendid! Our wonderful cooks Violet and Nozuko will prepare delicious meals through the week and their cake and bread is to die for!"

Food: All meals will be provided( and we have had comments from previous volunteers that the cook is very good!). Meals will usually consist of light breakfast, lunch/packed lunch and supper is the main meal. Food will usually be typical Western food. During practical outings, packed meals will be provided.

You will have access to the kitchen while in the camp so that you can make yourself a hot drink and/or snacks.

Laundry: There is a laundry service in the village which will cost you about R20 a week, but some people choose to do their washing in the basin on site.

Activities: Given that this is a camp site, there are no city-type amenities like TV, etc., but there are facilities in Alicedale (a very small town about 8 km away), such as Internet, swimming pool, café, shops, etc., ... and Louis' Pub!

Communication: There is no land-line in the camp site but you will have limited access to email facilities. Cell phone communication is normally available but while you’re in camp, you will need to climb to the top of the ridge in order to get reception.

Location: The location of the campsite is close to the rapidly-developing small town of Alicedale, in the Eastern Cape. Alicedale is 90 km (approx 70 miles) from Port Elizabeth and 20 km from the university town of Grahamstown. Shamwari Game Reserve is fairly close by, as is Burchills and Bushman Sands.

TRAVEL:
You have the option to arrange your own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.) Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up before leaving for your placement.

Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country. Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.

You will fly into Port Elizabeth where you'll be met at the airport and taken to the site.

You'll also be taken to your accommodation, where you'll be welcomed and introduced to everyone.


Darting from a helicopter during a game capture in order to tag the game for monitoring

VISAS:. In countries where visas or immigration documents are required, we'll send you all the necessary forms and information and make the process very easy for you.

We can also arrange your flight dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!

To read about the extensive Support & Backup we provide in our countries, please click here.

PRICES:

To see the Prices of this project and all our other projects in South Africa, please click here

Prices include
  • Food & accommodation while on your project, unless otherwise stated,
  • 2 T-shirts, if required for your project
  • All support and backup during your programme
  • Meeting you at the nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.

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the list of all our projects in South Africa

TO APPLY FOR THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE

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Translocating a rhino - this was a very rare opportunity to experience transportation of animals between Reserves - not part of the project but a wonderful experience that happened to arise during the time of the course!


Volunteers re-enacting periods South Africa's history, during their cultural heritage lesson. Seen here portraying different costumes of different tribes and periods in history

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