Volunteer abroad in environmental conservation in South Africa
VTSAENV1
Volunteers here are welcome for a minimum of 2 weeks.
Located at the entrance to the Garden Route on South Africa's southern coast, this private game reserve is home to an abundance of animal and bird life, including Africa's “Big 5” (the lion, the African elephant, the Cape Buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros). This wildlife project offers you personal interaction with many animals, and volunteers must be willing to get their hands dirty and work as a team. It is ideal for lovers of nature, animals and the great outdoors. No specific skills or experience are necessary but participants should be physically fit and mentally positive.
Volunteers are needed to participate in a variety of tasks, including:
- Game counts & species records
- Game capture & relocation
- Wildlife nutrition & feeding
- Tracking & monitoring released cheetahs
- Lion monitoring
- Managing & maintaining cheetah breeding projects
- Short course in wildlife immobilisation
- Darting & rifle handling course during a 2-day survival course
- Education on how to approach wild animals on foot
- Marine education
- Conservation education within the local community
- Erosion control, vegetation rehabilitation and road & fence maintenance
Optional activities include:
- Field Guide qualification exam
- Snake handling course & reptile park upkeep
- Work with the reserve vet
NOTE: Volunteers to the VTSAENV1 project are accommodated on location at the reserve in a very comfortable farm-style house and tented camp. There is a communal area with satellite TV, internet and lapa (fire pit). All meals will be provided - some prepared and some do-it-yourself. Also note that this project is subject to higher fees due to the location it takes place in and the activities included.
VTSAENV2
Volunteers here are welcome for a minimum of 2 weeks.
This elephant conservation project is part of a sustainable tourism community project and involves learning about elephants, studying elephant behaviour and hands-on maintenance of the parks and reserves. Volunteers have the opportunity to run workshops on elephant conservation in local schools, as well as study elephants in an untouched wild environment. No specific skills or experience are necessary but participants should be physically fit.
Available tasks include:
- Behavioural studies
- Community education & empowerment
- Park & reserve management
Specific tasks within the program may vary and volunteers may have to work on new or updated versions of the above tasks. A degree of flexibility is necessary to adapt to changing local needs.
VTSAENV3
Volunteers here are welcome for a minimum of 2 weeks.
This predator sanctuary is currently home to lions, white lions, bengal tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, pumas, caracals, servals, wild dogs, hyenas and jackals. The project protects these animals against canned hunting and attempts to conserve their numbers. Volunteers assist in the management and maintenance of the sanctuary. They prepare the daily feed for the animals, inspect enclosures, report on animal activities, repairing fences, supervise animal exercise and assist the guides with visitor management and activities.
Participants may also assist with ongoing research programs in the park.Specific tasks within the program may vary and volunteers may have to work on new or updated versions of said tasks. A degree of flexibility is necessary to adapt to changing local needs.
NOTE: Volunteers to the VTSAENV3 project are accommodated on location at the sanctuary in simple, clean, dorm style accommodation. All meals will be provided - some prepared and some do-it-yourself.
VTSAENV4
Volunteers here are welcome for a minimum of 2 weeks.
The Judah Square Rastafarian Community is home to about 35 families and, in a collaboration with South Africa National Parks, has established a nature trail that meanders along the Kayalethu River basin that is adjacent to the community. Previously overgrown with invasive plants and polluted, the ecosystem has been rehabilitated and turned into a sustainable community project.
Volunteers are needed to create walkways and information points, to remove invasive plant species and to plant indigenous species, with the goal of bringing back all the indigenous wildlife. No specific skills or experience are necessary but participants should be physically fit and mentally positive.
Tasks may include:
- Removal of alien invasive trees and plants
- Planting indigenous species
- Mending paths and walkways
- Clearing river debris
- Creating information and photo points
- Helping the guides with visiting tourists
Specific tasks within the program may vary and volunteers may have to work on new or updated versions of the above tasks. A degree of flexibility is necessary to adapt to changing local needs.
VTSAENV5
Volunteers here are welcome for a minimum of 2 weeks.
This project aims to educate underprivileged children on nature conservation while helping them practice their English. It consists of fun workshops for kids from aged 4 to 18 years old, that help them learn about plant and animal species and gain an appreciation for the natural world. They are usually held in classrooms and cover topics such as 'recycling', 'wonderful animals', 'carnivores, herbivores and omnivores', 'nocturnal animals' etc. There are also workshops at the beach, in the forests, and near lagoons and wetlands.
Volunteers are provided all the tools necessary, support and training so that they can accomplish their tasks. Those include:
- Lesson planning and preparation
- Fun activity planning
- Compiling presentable learning tools
- Development of future lesson plans
- Having a lot of fun with the kids!
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