Desert Elephant conservation in Namibia
| country: | Namibia |
| departures: | 2008: 8 Sep, 22 Sep, 6 Oct, 20 Oct, 3 Nov, 17 Nov |
| price: | From £600 (2 weeks) - £2880 (12 weeks) excluding flights. We can offer advice on flights |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
This project gives you the chance to visit a unique location and get involved with real spearhead conservation work. This project takes you to the northwestern regions of the Namib Desert, traditionally known as 'Damaraland'. This harsh tribal wilderness area runs parallel to the Skeleton Coast national park, and is home to a small population of desert-adapted elephants.
This project is not about being an observer of conservation from the comfort of a game drive vehicle. Volunteers will spend days out in the desert on patrol, camping wild and living close to the earth, elephants and people.
This project’s emphasis is on the building of protective structures around communal water points, creation of additional water points for elephants, assisting with, and teaching the farmers how they can financially benefit from tourism in the area, researching elephant movements, distribution and compiling identikits on herds and individuals. All work takes place in the vicinity of the rustic base camp in the Ugab River, at the foot of the majestic Brandberg.
Depending on the distance from camp to site, we head back for lunch, and a bit of a siesta. You may have to update data forms, be on kitchen and camp duty for the day, or have to work out an educational play for the local school! The evenings are spent in the boma, eating and talking about the day's events. We live closely in our desert camp. Then we head of on a patrol for a few days at a time. We pack some basic camping equipment in the 4x4, and set of looking for the elusive elephants. On patrol we camp wild, and sleep under the stars. We follow elephants on foot and by vehicle, sometimes for hours under the desert sun, and sit patiently observing from some rocky outcrop whilst they laze away in the shade!
This project is not about being an observer of conservation from the comfort of a game drive vehicle. Volunteers will spend days out in the desert on patrol, camping wild and living close to the earth, elephants and people.
This project’s emphasis is on the building of protective structures around communal water points, creation of additional water points for elephants, assisting with, and teaching the farmers how they can financially benefit from tourism in the area, researching elephant movements, distribution and compiling identikits on herds and individuals. All work takes place in the vicinity of the rustic base camp in the Ugab River, at the foot of the majestic Brandberg.
a day in the life of a volunteer
To cheat the heat, we wake up early for our first cup of coffee around the campfire. After the team member on duty has served breakfast, we head out to our project site for the day. Activities will include building a wall around a local farmer's windmill, teaching some farmers wives to make paper using elephant dung, doing work on our base camp. For each volunteer group the projects will be dependent on where the greatest need is at that time. Depending on the distance from camp to site, we head back for lunch, and a bit of a siesta. You may have to update data forms, be on kitchen and camp duty for the day, or have to work out an educational play for the local school! The evenings are spent in the boma, eating and talking about the day's events. We live closely in our desert camp. Then we head of on a patrol for a few days at a time. We pack some basic camping equipment in the 4x4, and set of looking for the elusive elephants. On patrol we camp wild, and sleep under the stars. We follow elephants on foot and by vehicle, sometimes for hours under the desert sun, and sit patiently observing from some rocky outcrop whilst they laze away in the shade!
travellers' tales
The elephant human relations project in Namibia was absolutely outstanding. Definitely *****. I would recommend this project to anyone... All staff involved were passionate, knowledgeable, and motivated. (more)
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This project is part of a long-term initiative to find solutions to the ever-growing problem of facilitating the peaceful co-habitation between the subsistence farmers, and the desert adapted elephants through: research, education and development. By joining this project and assisting these communities by constructing protective structures around water points, educating community members about elephant behaviour, creating alternative drinking points for the elephants and promoting tourism in the affected areas, your contribution will alleviate the current pressure facing communal farmers. In turn this will help to promote the future of the desert dwelling elephant in harmony with the continuous positive development of the conservancies and their ideals.
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