Balule
Conservation Project
South Africa, Greater Kruger National Park
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Dates:
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Read our blogs here |
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Volunteer
from a few days to a few months! |
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Read some of the testimonials we have received here |
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The Balule Conservation Project
offers an amazing opportunity to be involved in the conservation
management programme for the
beautiful Balule Nature reserve. The project works closely with
Save The Elephants Foundation who
support the research.
The area you will be working in is open to the famous Kruger
National Park and so is in the heart of the Big 5 environment with populations of
lion, elephant, black rhino, leopard and buffalo all present.
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Latest
testimonials March 2011
Hi there Adrian,
Well, what an experience, really 10 out of 10 !! I've never had such an
amazing bush experience before or hope to again unless i return which
is on the cards one day as soon as poss!!
Craig is a wealth of knowledge not only on " the bush " but also on
many other interesting subjects and his sense of humour is out of this
world.....I've never laughed so much in my life!!!
He has an extremely difficult task on his hands and those who he is
tutoring are very lucky to have him to learn from. The very "rustic'
camp was a great experience and we were really well looked after by him
and his team.
Thanks for putting me onto his camp and for all your help!
All the very best and thanks again.
Alan
Thank you Craig, and also all of you to have given the best of your
place to us, to have shared the wild nature and transmit your knowledge
to understand elephants, lions, rhinoceros, buffalo and the Big 5 as
well as the birds, the insects, the weather, the sounds of the wild
life, everything that I will keep for ever in my hart...........
I am sure that I will be back for me and my grand-children, and I hope
also to make on film a documentary on the way you are working to
preserve and give the best of your soul to this reserve and all the
beautiful animal in harmony with you.
Thank you also for your humour and your fluent talking which I had to
try to understand and make me getting better with this beautiful
English. I would like so much to spoke better.
Thank you, friendly
Frederique
Volunteer
Blogs:
July 2011 volunteer
1
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July 2011 volunteer 2
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Brief Overview
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This
exciting project contributes to the overall management of the reserve,
by collecting data on wildlife and vegetation. There is a major focus on
elephant herds and predators, although from time to time we undertake
other studies such as the effect of overhead power lines on giraffes. The
research on elephants forms a strong relationship with
Save The Elephants Foundation.
Craig, our
project leader, is an experienced conservationist who lives in the camp
and he is also the Warden for the Olifants West area so our research is
directed straight into the reserves management. We also work with
organisations such as the Save the Elephant Foundation.
The project offers a
fantastic opportunity to get involved in some hands on conservation
work, whilst contributing to important research. You will get to see
some amazing wildlife in its natural environment and learn about
conservation and life in the African bush.
"I
volunteered there last year in March and had a fantastic time I have to
say, really worthwhile, interesting and definitely fun as well"
Viv, previous volunteer
Activities
During your stay on the
project you will get involved in a variety of conservation activities.
There are daily surveys to monitor the various animal populations
within the reserve. Other than that you may be asked to help with
vegetation surveys (depending on the time of year); waterpoint surveys;
alien vegetation removal and the occasional trip into town to
re-supply.
All in all, you are
likely to be out and about for most of the day and come into contact
with many animals of interest, as well as responding to calls from
trackers and rangers (from the lodges) when focal species such as
mega-herbivores, predators and wildebeest are reported.
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Save The Elephants Partnership |
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Transfrontier
(Afreco’s partners) has a formal relationship with
Save the Elephants (StE),
situated in the Timbavati region of the Greater Kruger National Park. We work
closely with Dr. Michelle Henley and her team of researchers on a daily basis to
assist them with the photographic finger-printing of elephants in the field as
well as monitoring the 36 elephants that have been fitted with satellite collars
in an effort to monitor their movements and habitat preferences.
Our involvement with StE includes the monitoring
of elephant herds in the field and contributing to the international
photographic finger-printing data-base. This entails spending many hours in the
field with the elephants, tracking the herds and documenting herd dynamics and
photographing their external ear patterns and other distinguishing facial
features. This data is then captured on the computers back in camp and forwarded
to our research facility where the data is sorted and added to the international
database.
This information is used to assess population
size (Jolly-Stochastic model) as well as social interactions, herd dynamics and
a “fear landscape”. It is also designed to demonstrate the effects of human
activities on elephant distribution and behaviour.
StE works throughout Africa and is headed up by
Sir Iain
Douglas-Hamilton. They have been appointed as the primary elephant
researchers in the Greater Kruger National Park and are engaged with various
projects including community out-reach and the monitoring of elephant impacts on
the woody vegetation and investigating mechanisms to reduce impacts of elephants
on large trees.
We are proud to have been identified by StE as
significant role-players in the field of elephant monitoring and feel priviliged
to be able to contribute to their work.
If you have a particular interest in Elephant’s
please let us know and we will tailor your stay to our elephant research
activities – however you will still get involved in the full range of our work. |
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Accommodation and the camp
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| You will stay at Paradise Camp, our rustic bush
camp, deep in the heart of the reserve. The camp is unfenced so has
basic stilted chalets. The cabins sleep 2 (twin beds) and are equipped
with mosquito nets and linen. |
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The camp has a screened bush shower, a
camp-fire and a viewing platform that offers amazing 360 degree views
over the bush – and is a great place to enjoy the sunset with a beer or
glass of wine.
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What
is included?
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Included in the price
is accommodation, 3 meals a day whilst on the camp and all project
related activities. We will pick you up and drop you off at Hoedspruit.
You will need to bring some spending money to pay for snacks, alcoholic
drinks and any treats that you might wish to have with you on camp.
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For more information please visit
www.transfrontierafrica.co.uk
You can also email email Afreco via the enquiry
buttons on this page.
Or contact Adam at Transfrontier Africa will also
be happy to assist
adam@transfrontierafrica.co.uk
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Total Payment
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