The
Kariega Conservation Project is designed to offer volunteers the opportunity to
be involved in all conservation related projects on the reserve. During your
stay, you may see yourselves as "assistant conservation managers" as
all of the work done by you will improve the quality of the reserve and the data
collected by you will be utilized by Kariega management in making important conservation
decisions for the reserve. As a volunteer you therefore derive a good deal of
satisfaction from your work, as your efforts directly contributes to improving
the reserve.
While getting involved in every aspect of hands-on conservation
management on the reserve, you will learn many conservation skills and have the
experience of a lifetime. Our volunteers also get the opportunity to explore South
Africa’s amazing coastline as Kariega is a mere 16 km from the sea... the
beautiful Indian Ocean is literally on your doorstep! This coastline has particularly
rich marine fauna and flora as well as endless sand dunes and beautiful beaches.
To top it all off, we have a brilliant community outreach programme. Our volunteers
assist at a local rural farm school by teaching children basic subjects like English.
Come and make a real difference and have fun doing so!
MORE
INFORMATION ...
Volunteers will be provided with stimulating practical
experience in the following four areas: Conservation Management, Research,
Community Development and Practical Education.
CONSERVATION
MANAGEMENT
Conservation management activities form a large part of the
volunteer programme. Some of these activities involve physical work and therefore
a certain level of determination from the volunteers is required. Keep in mind
that the "reserve needs" are always taken into account and you will
help to fulfil those needs as a volunteer. Daily activities are interesting and
varied, and could include assistance with some of the following:
- Game
Counts
- Sex and age ratios recordings of specific species like eland
and giraffe
- Alien Vegetation Control
- Soil Erosion Control
- Reserve Clean-Up Operations
- Road maintenance and repairing
of river crossings
- Parasite control
- Selective bush clearing
- And
any other conservation management activity that might “pop-up” at the
time and the reserve requires your assistance in
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RESEARCH
PROJECTS
Most research projects are done over a long period of time. As
your placement will only be for a relatively short time with regard to the time
frame of most research projects, there is no guarantee that you will be involved
in all projects during your placement. Long term research projects at Kariega
include: Elephant Impact Monitoring - Volunteers will
help monitor elephant movement patterns, range utilization and vegetation impact
with the aid of telemetry (certain individuals are fitted with radio collars).
A part of this research project that volunteers are very involved with, is recording
the unique ear markings of each elephant for management purposes. Elephant identification
sheets are given to each volunteer, who in turn will assist the conservation department
in this regard.
Lion prey selection monitoring – One of the
volunteer programme’s responsibilities is to record as many lion kills as
possible. This data provides the conservation department at Kariega with valuable
information regarding prey selection. Certain lions on the reserve are fitted
with radio collars, so volunteers will learn how to use telemetry tracking.
Birds
in Reserve Project (BIRP) - This project involves preparing a catalogue of
the birds, bird numbers and their breeding status in the reserve as part of a
project headed by the University of Cape Town’s Avian Demography Unit.
Hyena
tracking and monitoring - Movement patterns and breeding rates of these interesting
predators are monitored. None of the hyenas are fitted with radio collars, so
it can be quite a challenge finding them on the reserve. Our recent volunteers
found a den site … one of our females gave birth!
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COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
We have identified an under-funded farm school near the reserve
where our volunteer programme can make a real difference. The school is small,
yet very under-staffed and local kids aged 4 to 15 years attend the school. Kariega
volunteers visit the school one day a week (not during school holidays or rainy
days (most of the children walk about 10 km to attend school so if it rains, no
one goes to school!), and make valuable contributions to the children’s education.
Our volunteers take many of the classes themselves and teach 12-15 year olds subjects
like English and Maths. You might also help with the maintenance of the school’s
facilities or by giving sport lessons to the kids. Your contribution here is real,
and both the children and the headmistress are very appreciative. Guaranteed to
leave you with a feeling of satisfaction! |
PRACTICAL
EDUCATION / THEORY
Each volunteer will be given a field booklet, which
can be taken home at the end of the placement. The booklet has been carefully
compiled and will aid you during your stay at Kariega. The four main subjects
outlined in the booklet include: principles of conservation, field skills and
survival, habitat management and game management. The theory provides insight
into the value of the practical activities in which you may participate. Mammal,
plant and bird checklists are also included in the booklet and will help you to
identify different species at Kariega. Practical education will be provided throughout
your stay: - Bush Walks, Game Drives and night drives
- Sleep
Outs (weather dependent)
- Field Skills & Survival
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Other
activities that students may have the opportunity to experience:
Capturing
of Wild Animals – Our 2007 volunteers had the AMAZING once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to assist with the capture of the following species on the reserve:
elephant, lion, rhino, hyena, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra and impala!! Please remember
that captures only occur when required by the reserve and not for the sake of
the volunteers.
Game Introduction - There is an ongoing programme
for the introduction of additional game, especially as the reserve has just acquired
more land that will need to be stocked with various different African mammal species.
Fire Management - An important driving force in savanna ecosystems
(depending on the time of year and fire regimes)
A dedicated coordinator
will endeavour to ensure that you have a wonderful learning experience and leave
with a stronger understanding of conservation issues feeling like you made an
important contribution. Please note that our activities are based on a minimum
stay of 4 weeks. Although many of the activities listed below may take place in
2-3 week placements, not all are guaranteed. So the longer your stay, the more
in depth your experience.
 | Location
Kariega Game Reserve is a malaria free "Big 5" private game reserve
that is set in the stunning Eastern Cape in South
Africa - and is one of of the country's most scenic coastal wildlife areas.
Kariega is an extraordinary and exciting conservation project, at the forefront
of numerous species re-introductions and conservation drives. The 8 500 hectare
reserve, bordered by the picturesque Kariega and Bushman’s rivers, contains
a variety of habitat types and the unique landscape sustains a wide range of African
game including lion, elephant, rhino, hyena, giraffe and zebra. | | Click
here to read more about South Africa |
Accommodation
Volunteers
are accommodated in a renovated, fully furnished house on the reserve. You will
be sharing bedrooms and there are communal bathrooms. There is a lecture room,
a lounge with a T.V, dining room and a fully equip kitchen with a fridge, stove,
microwave, cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils. If a safe for cash and valuables
are required, volunteers can use the communal safe at Kariega's reception. Please
bear in mind that the house is in the middle of a "Big 5" game reserve,
so therefore one cannot walk outside the boundaries of the garden fence.
All
the laundry is done by the volunteer programme's domestic helper, Nomelia. She
also assists in cleaning the house. Please note that the laundry is fairly basic,
and expensive clothes go into the wash at your own risk. All the ingredients for
three basic meals a day are provided. Volunteers are divided into cooking teams
and all meals are made by the volunteers themselves at the house. Volunteers are
also responsible for washing up and keeping the kitchen clean and tidy.
Please
inform the Worldwide Experience team if you are vegetarian. Meals that volunteers
choose to eat at restaurants on town-trip days, are at own expense. If possible,
once every two weeks the volunteers are invited to eat dinner at the luxury Kariega
lodge, giving them the chance to socialise with other staff and rangers.
Time
Off
Weekends and evenings are spent at leisure.
Kenton-On-Sea is
a beautiful small coastal town only 15 minutes drive from the reserve. The beaches
are absolutely breath taking and pristine. Your local "hang-out" is
a pub / restaurant overlooking this stunning beach! After their Saturday morning
shopping in Kenton (volunteers can stock up on all everyday essentials), volunteers
often laze around on the beach, swim in the waves or sit in the beach bar while
sipping away on a cold drink and taking in the senery.
Grahamstown is a
viby student town famous for Rhodes University and is 30 minutes drive from the
reserve. Port Alfred is also a coastal town, a bit bigger than Kenton, and is
also about 30 minutes drive from the reserve. Port Elizabeth is an hour and a
half drive. |
Project
Duration and Rates
| 2
weeks | 3
weeks | 4
weeks | 6
weeks | 8
weeks | 12
weeks | | £1,299 | £1,699 | £1,999 | £2,449 | £2,849 | £3,849 |
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