My suitcase is already over-flowing…suncream…check….silly hat…check…awful passport photo…check! Now, is there anything else I am missing?

Helena from the Kareiga Game Reserve sent us over this blog post and some fantastic pictures. It looks like the volunteers have been extremely busy carrying out community development work with a difference. Here’s Helena’s blog post on the subject:

We are very proud to report that our conservation volunteers at Kariega Game Reserve have done FANTASTIC work at a nearby rural school. Kariega Game Reserve started a charity trust fund, called the Kariega Foundation. With funds sponsored by Kariega Game Reserve, we renovated the pre-primary classroom at our local, rural school. The school is very under funded and some of the classrooms in a terrible state. We decided enough-is-enough, and our volunteers pulled up their sleeves, and started the enormous job of completely renovating an entire classroom. Floorboards needed to be pulled up, the ceiling was fixed, and many hours of painting were done. Our end result was amazing and the little ones at the school can now look forward to many hours of happy learning in their new classroom (have a look at our “before” and “after” photos!). Thank you to all our conservation volunteers who helped with this project.

While on the reserve I will be involved with tracking and monitoring the wildlife, which includes the big 5, general maintenance of the reserve, assisting the team hands on at the Shamwari wildlife center, and also helping at the Born Free big cat sanctuary. During my time at Shamwari I will be sharing my experiences with you by carrying out daily blog posts, with exclusive video footage and pictures, live updates via facebook and twitter, live video streaming direct from the field, and also running competitions so you guys have the opportunity to win prizes!

Please follow my journey, so together we can learn and develop a greater understanding of these crucial conservation projects that take place.

Thanks!

Find the facebook page here, follow me on twitter here, and follow Worldwide Experience on twitter here.

Nadia, sent us the August monthly update from the Shamwari Game Reserve, and it certainly looks like our volunteers have been busy. Here’s a brief look at what they got up to in August:

Veterinary

Students were involved with the darting and loading of buffalo, white rhino and black rhino at Amanzi.

Game Capture

Students were still involved with Game Capture this month. They were able to observe the darting of a Black Rhino as well as the mass capture of Waterbuck, Zebra, Black Wildebeest, Kudu, Ostrich, Blesbuck and Impala. Students also got involved in the preparation of the mass capture systems, hanging of sales and curtains, as well as camouflaging the curtains.

Nursery

A large amount of plants were given to Jason this month. These plants were then planted at various locations such as the workshop and certain lodges. The students are also helping us to prep the nursery for spring.

Road Clearing and Maintenance

Students continue to clear roads, and brush pack in areas where roads have been closed. As well as packing rocks in areas which have been severely eroded. A section of road between the Basement and Carnarvon dale was bush cleared. The bad section on the eastern side of the oxbow was filled with rocks and levelled.

Born Free

Students continue to volunteer at Born Free on a weekly basis. The students also finished painting the classroom at Kinkelbos for Christine’s echo schools

Monitoring

Students continue monitoring of high profile species on the main reserve. Specifically Elephants, for which they are building up an Elephant ID Kit.

Water point Clean-up

Students cleaned up water points on Skilpad and Nyati camp

Alien vegetation removal

Students continued to cut down Beefwoods on Potes. We have also started work at Bayete chopping down Pine trees, Black Wattle and Rooikranz. We have also GPS logged a couple of infested areas that can be controlled with the students.

Anti-poaching

Students were given a hands on approach to anti-poaching operations when they were taken by Nelis on a patrol where they had to find snares put out by the anti-poaching unit.

The students also participated in the following activities:

• Isipho Multi Purpose Centre – Students continue to interact with the children on a weekly basis.
The students donated stationeries, books, clothing, soccer balls and various educational toys for the orphanage this month.
• Telemetry Tracking
• Game Drives and Night Drives
• “Be-the-Field Guide”
• Various talks on Game Capture and Conservation topics.
• DVD’s on predator introduction, and Wildlife conservation at Shamwari.
• Guided walk – Students was taken on a guided walk on the main reserve. Two male cheetah were approached during this walk.
• Air rifle shooting competition.
• Elephant and Rhino dung paper – Students were shown how to make paper using elephant and rhino dung.
• Rope making using sisal
• Reptile talk and demonstration by Darryn

(pic by Barnaby)

We’ve all probably heard the conventional wisdom of ‘carpe diem’, or seizing the day. And a gap year is often the chance to do exactly that, whether it’s just before starting university, or after graduation. But it seems more and more people are realizing a gap year isn’t something that can only be done at a certain time, as this article about career breaks suggests.

A gap year can be rewarding on many levels, both personally and professionally, and it seems more and more people are starting to realize it. Experiencing other cultures and spending time developing new skills can be a chance to find a new direction in life and work, or bring some perspective back to your old job – an idea that’s supported by the number of people turning a gap year into a career break in the article. So whatever stage of life you’re at, or whatever career path you’re planning, it might be worth looking back to old lessons after all. At some point, you may just have to seize the day!

It’s been a busy start to the week for the students here at Shamwari Game Reserve!  We were all up before dawn on Monday and setting up the mass game capture system just as the sun peeked over the horizon.  The aim for the morning was to capture numerous species of antelope, looking to relocate them to other sections of the reserve.  The reason for this is that the coastal regions of South Africa are currently in the stranglehold of a very serious drought, so the reserve needs to be carefully managed to make sure that enough grazing is available for all the animals.

We were running curtains in the funnel system, helping load and offload animals and generally just getting hands dirty to make sure everything ran smoothly!  It was a successful morning and we were able to capture wildebeest, impala, red hartebeest and waterbuck.  On jam-packed days like this, we generally have lunch out in the bush, so we had a quick break and then joined back up with the conservation team to dart and relocate a black rhino bull.

After the rhino had been darted from a helicopter, and because this is a highly endangered and of course, very large animal, the process became very “hands on”!  We managed to load the rhino into the transport crate in record time, all the while being curiously watched from a distance by a herd of elephant!  The guys and girls were certainly all of the opinion that it was an adrenaline-pumping, once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Tuesday started a little later than the previous day, to allow everyone to catch their breath and get some extra beauty sleep!  We then headed off to what we call the “predator bomas”…that’s where lions, leopards, cheetah and so on are kept before they are released onto the reserve.  We spent the day cleaning out the enclosures, making sure they are ready for their next occupants.  Once again, it was lunch in the bush in a beautiful part of the game reserve and we were incredibly lucky to find a lioness (who still had blood on her lips from a recent kill!) and a large herd of elephant out on the reserve when we were on our way to lunch and then home!

A successful two days, with never a dull moment out here at Shamwari Game reserve!

When it comes to hiring staff, 67 per cent of 3000 employers surveyed said they would be much more likely to employ a person who had taken a gap year, than those who had come straight out of university. Whether on animal conservation gap year projects in Africa, or teaching English to children in South America, it seems that gaining experience working in a foreign country is looked upon very favourably by prospective employers.

Apparently, according to the study’s authors, people who have worked on gap year projects are “more confident and independent”. This is enabling them to command higher starting salaries as they feel better equipped to enter the workforce. Translated into cold, hard cash, the average graduate who takes a gap year will be around £1000 better off, according to the study. In many cases, the level of dedication and commitment is much higher in gappers as they have had more time to consider their chosen profession, and they enter the workforce with a greater understanding of how they want their career to progress.

So, maybe you’re trying to convince yourself, or perhaps it’s your parents you need to sway; but either way, if this doesn’t tip the balance on your decision on whether or not to take a gap year I don’t know what will!

What are you waiting for? Go for it!

I can’t believe this has happened to me! I keep thinking I’m going to wake up from a dream! It’s absolutely amazing and I am so thrilled I have been chosen for this wondeful opportunity! I can finally make a difference to conservation! The support I’ve had throughout this has really been amazing, people I havn’t spoke to in 5 or 6 years have even campaigned for me! One school friend told me this is exactly what she had imagined me doing and it was so perfect for me. Thanks so much everyone! You have finally helped me live my dream! I would also like to wish both Jade and Lynsey all the best in the future, you are both just as deserving and I’m sure you will both go on to make a huge difference to conservation. Thank you!

Karra sent us this creative video and tells us that she was up all night perfecting her entry - if you think her dedication pays off then vote Karra as our Voice of Conservation in the poll.

Jade’s entry is also available at Mega Upload if you can’t access YouTube and would like the files on your computer. Jade says she’ll be keeping her fingers and toes crossed over the next few days – if you’d like her to be our voice of conservation then vote Jade in our poll.