BIG 5 GAME RESERVE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROJECT
EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

Volunteer at this beautiful Game Reserve - one of the finest destinations in the Eastern Cape wilderness - home to the Big Five - lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo.  Other species such as antelope, giraffe, warthog and cheetah all roam in the Reserve and volunteers  play an integral part in the conservation work currently being undertaken as well as getting involved in the local Isipho orphanage - educating the children, playing games and supporting the vegetable garden - and contributing to community clean ups and visits to the craft centre.  There will be opportunities to camp out under the stars and volunteers are also treated to a 5-star guest experience spending one night at the luxury safari lodge.

	Location:	EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA	Dates:	Any date throughout the year.
	Fees:	£785 - 2 weeks £1,145 - 3 weeks £1,395 - 4 weeks £1,995 - 6 weeks £2,295 - 7 weeks £2,595 - 8 weeks	Payment:	£180 deposit at time of booking – balance of project fee due 8 weeks before departure
	Reference:	AV016

General Information

Feel the heartbeat and rhythm of Africa at this beautiful Big 5 Game Reserve, which has quickly become one of the finest visitor destinations in the Eastern Cape wilderness. This malaria free reserve boasts the Big Five - lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo and antelope, giraffe, warthog and cheetahs roam the plains.  It is located one hour's drive from Port Elizabeth and large areas are currently being transformed back to wildlife based land usage aafter more than two hundred years of domestic animal and agricultural farming.  The biome characteristic of the Eastern Cape is primarily thorny vegation spreading over rugged slopes and ridges.

The Conservation Volunteer Programme

This volunteer project is for those seeking an opportunity to explore this corner of Africa.  All aspects of conservation are covered;  game is constantly being monitored and managed throughout the year and volunteers assist in conservation and community projects, the main focus of which is the Isipho Centre for vulnerable children and those affected by HIV and AIDS.

The prime responsibility for volunteers is managing the lions - monitoring them and checking the fence lines.  There are lots of daily tasks around the reserve which change from day-to-day and include:

• erosion control
• fence patrol and maintenance
• alien plant control
• bush clean and clear up
• road and boma maintenance

There may be opportunities to assist with on-going long terms projects such as:

• animal tracking using telemetry
• the "Birds in Reserves" project
• game counts
• giraffe movement and breeding monitoring
• lion health and breeding monitoring
• territorial ranges and feeding range monitoring 

and short-term projects such as:

• game capture, counts and monitoring
• medicinal use of plants and vegetable biomes
• guided walks, tracking and trails through the reserve
• noctural predator monitoring

There are lots of new projects planned for 2010 which will include improving the provision of educational activities at the Isipho Centre.

Project Objectives

Predator Monitoring

Telemetry  is used to track the territorial ranges of lions and cheetah.  This information is then used to inform management decisions regarding predators and the role of volunteers is to monitor and manage the lions and associated data capture.  The male and female lion are not located on the main reserve but are in a smaller area of 1000 ha adjacent to the reserve.  This separation is part of the management plan and data capture is constantly being collated.  The key objectives of predator monitoring are:

• to monitor the general well being of the lions
• to log sightings

• to monitor kill ratios

Herbivore Monitoring

Giraffe, elephant, rhino and buffalo are the main considerations for large herbivore monitoring as well as blesbok, impala, springbox, red hartebeest, wildebeest and duiker for small herbivore monitoring.  However this range of herbivores may change in the future.  Currently research projects on the reserve are being conducted by the Rhodes University and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to provide vital information on the impact that certain animal species may be having on other species.  The key objectives of herbivore monitoring are:

• to identify individuals
• to create an age chart and family tree listings
• to log sightings
• to monitor territorial ranges, breeding, health and feeding preferences
• to monitor competition between species
• population counts, area density and censuses

Plant Monitoring

The number of species in an ecosystem is an important characteristic of a community; communities with a higher diversity of species are likely to be more stable than those with a lower diversity.  Key objectives in plant monitoring are:

• a herbarium of all known plant species is collected
• indigenous plants are germinated in the nursery and then planted on the reserve
• key plant species within the herbivore diets are determined
• browse carrying capacities are determined based on herbivore population numbers
• exotic plants are removed and utilised in the form of wood collection
• plants are used to stablise soil eroded areas
• transformed land and pioneer species managment through succession and climax species

Erosion Control

South Africa loses 40 to 60 tons of topsoil per hectare of land per year due to erosion. This amounts to 500 million tons of topsoil per annum. Erosion occurs naturally due to wind, water, and drought. It can also be caused due to poor farming management – ploughing incorrectly and overgrazing.

Wetland and Watering Hole Rehabilitation

Watering holes are the heart and soul of an ecosystem providing life for all wildlife. This project ascertains that man-made wetlands and watering holes providing an essential source of water to a water deficient landscape is a stable self-supporting ecosystem.

Alien Plant Control

All species of alien plants should be removed, for the following reasons: They often out-compete indigenous flora, thereby forming impenetrable thickets reducing available fodder to grazers and browsers. In addition to this impact on the environment, their presence in the area is unnatural and often not aesthetically pleasing.

General Reserve Maintenance

General reserve maintenance are ongoing projects that assist reserve management. They may include: fence patrols checking for snares or faults, filling holes created by aardvark or porcupines, brush-packing closed roads, seeding eroded areas, searching for permanent water sites, clearing old fences and alien vegetation control etc.

Community Up-Liftment Projects

There are currently three projects in progress:

• Vulnerable Children and Isipho Safe-house
• Craft Centre
• Vegetable gardening for children

Isipho Safe-house and Vulnerable Children Project

Volunteers will help with education and play for the children at the centre, many of whom have no parents or little support from parents in terms of love and affection.  Volunteers visit twice a week and can offer children the attention and affection that they may not get at home.  This support provides some hope for the children who can see that love and compassion do exist.  Volunteers also help the children with their vegetable garden - which helps to provide a balanced diet for them.  Nothing is wasted - even peelings are recycled into compost to fertilse the plot.

Craft Centre

This is located just outside the reserve and was once the site of a sheep shearing shed.  It now houses the craft centre which sells crafts made by the people from the local township.  Volunteers have been helping to convert the property into a sustainable business and continue to help with painting and property maintenance or teaching new craft skills to those who attend the centre. 

Other relaxing and fun activities:

There are lots of activities for volunteers - some of which are detailed below:

Bush Camping

This is an experience in itself - setting up nothing but a sleeping bag and fire to cook on for the night.  Watch the beautiful night sky above; hear the sounds of the nocturnal life and even maybe the lions roaring in the distance.  A fantastic experience - to barbecue on an open fire while watching the stars above!

Navigation and Compass Orientation

Volunteers can learn how to navigate during the day using signs of the bush, and at night using the stars.  Compass skills are essential for anyone going into the African bush.

Xhosa Bush Tour

This tour is led by an experienced Xhosa guide who will point out the different medicinal uses of plants, tell local folklore and the meanings behind the names of flore and fauna - guaranteed to make anyone laugh!

Target Shooting

Most people are scared of guns - but this is usually because they are unfamiliar with them and do not know how to use them properly.  Live firearms are not used unless handled by an experienced guide and the basic principles of firearm handling and shooting are taught through the use of air rifles within a very safe and controlled environment.

Updating Project Information on the Computer

Volunteers get actively involved in conservation projects and any data collected is typed up into statistical programmes to enable volunteers to keep up-to-date on population trends in which they have actively been involved.

Canoeing

To get the best and most accurate animal observations, all resources have to be used.  Volunteers often canoe along the Bushmans River which is the main water source for the local animals.  If done correctly, volunteers can get up close and personal with all types of animals whilst they take a drink or a mud bath!

Boating

Volunteers may get the opportunity to cruise along the Bushmans River in a boat - on a day safari.  Luscious vegetation on the river banks provides great habitats for frogs, reptiles, birds and small mammals.

Fishing

The Bushmans River is abundant with different types of fish and volunteers often are asked to catch them for population and species diversity calculations.  Carp - an alien species - is one of the least desired occupants.  Fishing rods and lines are used to catch this species in particular to control the population in the river.  Fishing usually takes place during a leisurely paddle in the canoes.

5-Star Lodge Experience

Volunteers are treated to this 5-star guest experience at the Safari Lodge which is tucked away in a valley, ideal for the best wildlife viewing.  This intimate lodge with its unique safari huts has all the comforts of a graded 5-star lodge and occupants can tune into the sounds of nature in a truly undisturbed retreat.  In the evening volunteers enjoy sitting around the fireside under a canopy of stars.

Darting and Relocations

The reserve is fully operational and there may be occasions when volunteers may be asked to assist with work involving the vet or the ecologist.  Darting and relocations only take place if really necessary and requested by the vet.

A typical working day:

Students are busy from Monday to Friday, the average working day being 8 hours.

Weekends are free for students to either relax at the volunteer house or to go sightseeing. Exciting and interesting things frequently occur on a game reserve and these will, where possible, be included in the programme.  Volunteers are allocated a qualified game ranger as facilitator and Land Rover game viewer for their sole use for the duration of the programme.  The programme is therefore flexible but an average day might include the following:

7.00am	Breakfast
7.30am	Leave volunteer house for duties on the reserve - taking packed lunch.   Track lions with telemetry and monitor activities.  Move through the reserve identifying wildlife to an area allocated for vegetation surgey
1.00pm	Lunch on the reserve
2.00pm	Canoe on the river to survey bird behaviour
4.00pm	Fence patrol on the way back to the volunteer house
6.00pm	Dinner or outdoor bbq
Evenings	Socialise in the local lively pub with other volunteers or discuss the activities of the day around the camp fire

Support

Support and advice is available from your Project Managers whilst on the project and from the UK Amanzi Travel Team.
Find out more about Amanzi Travel support

Orientation

A comprehensive information pack will be sent to all our volunteers upon booking their volunteer placement and further advice and information will be provided via telephone and email before departure. A full orientation will be provided when you arrive at the project by your project coordinator including information on the current status of the projects and familiarising you with the local surroundings. You will also be provided with a comprehensive wildlife information booklet.

Accommodation and Meals

Volunteers are accommodated in a one-storey 7-bedroomed house, which overlooks a large garden and is within walking distance of the local bar and shops.  Most rooms are doubles, with 3 sharing one bathroom, 2 sharing a second bathroom and 1 room en suite.  Each bathroom has a large hot water shower.  There is a communal dining and sitting room with digital satellite tv, well equipped kitchen and office space.  A sun room provides additional seating and internet and telephone are available in this room for email, booking activities and research only.  A small charge is made.   The house has a large garden with a braai (BBQ) and fire pit for chilly nights and social gatherings of volunteers.

All meat, fruit and vegetables are provided for volunteers at the house who are responsible for cooking evening meals in the communal kitchen.  Breakfast and lunch are to be prepared individually as activities vary.  Volunteers should take enough food and drink with them to last the day.  Sweets and snacks can be purchased on the way to the reserve.  Vegetarian and other dietary requirements can be catered for but should be advised in advance when booking.Three meals per day are provided.

Getting There

Fly directly into Port Elizabeth Airport where you can be met on arrival and transferred to your accommodation. (There may be a number of ways to reach your destination airport - for further information or advice please contact Amanzi Travel)
Let Amanzi Travel arrange your flights for you

Fees

What is included

• A contribution to the project itself
• Daily transfers for your activities
• Orientation and introduction to the project. "On-the-job" educational activities and support from volunteer co-ordinator and local staff
• All accommodation including 3 meals a day
• Unlimited tea, coffee and water and Laundry and domestic service
• One night in the luxury safari lodge with four course meal

What is excluded

• Travel Insurance (to include cover for repatriation)
• International flights
• Transfer to and from the airport – we can arrange your transfer for £135 return (private hire). If you are happy to have a flexible transfer we can arrange this for £95 return.
• Use of internet (email) and telephone, wines and spirits
• Visas and any trips/activities undertaken other than in the planned expedition