Wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa
Are you 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
Environment
The project is environmentally responsible in its approach to improving the environment. As soon as volunteers arrive at the reserve, they immediately know what tasks are ahead of them, and what tasks are planned for the future. Not everything will be achieved whilst they are there, some long-term tasks will be accomplished when they return home.
Short-term projects:
- Construction of river crossings.
- Erosion control.
- Game counts.
- Plant species herbarium - preserving plant specimens
- Insect herbarium.
- Bird list.
- Big game studbook - a written record of the pedigree of a purebred stock
- Dung samples.
- Roadwork and upkeep of roads.
Long-term projects:
- Free roaming cheetah research.
- Alien plant control.
- Rehabilitation (planting trees and shrubs)
- Continuous upgrade of info centres at Reptile Park and cheetah breeding camps.
- Re directing roads to minimize erosion.
- Road & fence maintenance.
Community
This volunteering programme is designed for participants who are passionate about African wildlife and environmental conservation work. Volunteers bring a lot of energy to the project, and they are essential in providing valuable assistance in a number of areas not least by educating local visitors about agriculture, wildlife and sustainability but also by supporting the project monetarily through the volunteer fees.
The programme is based around a game lodge that was established in 1999 to restore an area of agricultural farmland to its former glory. Volunteers are essential in returning the land to its natural, original state. The game lodge also aims to increase awareness of environmental issues in South Africa. Today a large variety of wildlife including the BIG 5 are once more at home in this private game reserve.
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