Thanda Private Game reserve, is ideally situated in a private game reserve of 14,000 hectares of pristine bush and is home to the Big 5, the extremely rare African Wild Dog and Cheetah. The area is home to the Zulu tribe, a group of people with a very lively and colourful culture.
It is within this impressive setting that we offer you the opportunity to improve your photography skills, to photograph the phenomenal wildlife in the area, and to help raise awareness in the local community about the importance of conservation.
In the impressive setting of a Private Big 5 Game Reserve, this unique programme offers photography enthusiasts the opportunity to get a different perspective on Africa…
This project has a number of long-term aims to raise awareness and help preserve the precious African environment:
1) CONSERVATION EDUCATION AND ACTIVITIES
In partnership with the Thanda foundation volunteers may be assisting in a number of exciting conservation initiatives in surrounding areas:
a) Conservation in Action – Volunteers will be involved in a number of activities such as regeneration of the local village back to its natural state, planting of indigenous trees, clearing Alien invasive plants, carrying out snare sweeps and when possible, helping on game counts.
b) Conservation Education in the community – As a volunteer, you may visit the local schools and deliver a class / workshop about the reason for, and methods of conservation.
2) PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MONTH/YEAR
Every month all photo’s will be reviewed and the best picture will be selected. The winner of the Photograph of the q Month will be framed and put on our picture wall in the volunteer house. In addition, it will be put on the African Impact website. At the end of each year the same jury will select a picture of the year with a prize given to the winning photographer.
3) CREATING A PHOTOGRAPHIC DATABASE
In association with the Green Vision Foundation, African Impact aims to create a complete photographic database, and use it for educational purposes.
Alongside the Thanda Foundation, African Impact has also identified that in order to preserve indigenous plant life and wildlife, it is essential to get local communities involved. We will look for every opportunity to use the photographs you donate to the project to help educate local schools about nature and the precious environment that surrounds them.
4) CONSERVATION RESEARCH
Photographers may be involved with helping researchers collect animal identification information and other interesting data research.
This project is a unique opportunity to encounter some of Africa’s most beautiful animals on a daily basis, to improve your photography skills, as well as to contribute to conservation efforts.
Please note that these projects are always evolving so are likely to be at different stages upon your arrival. Volunteers should be prepared to be involved in a wide spectrum of project work as things progress.
This project is ideally situated in a private game reserve of 14,000 hectares of pristine bush and is home to the Big 5, the extremely rare African Wild Dog and Cheetah. The area is home to the Zulu tribe, a group of people with a very lively and colourful culture. It is within this impressive setting that we offer you the opportunity to improve your photography skills, to photograph the phenomenal wildlife in the area, and to help raise awareness in the local community about the importance of conservation. This project has a number of long-term aims to raise awareness and help preserve the precious African environment.
During your placement you will stay in comfortable twin cabins set in the Game Reserve overlooking a water hole commonly visited by the animals in the park. There is a large communal thatched building with areas to dine, relax, watch the animals or to take a dip in the swimming pool. The accommodation is staffed with cooks and cleaners and all bed linen is provided. You can spend the evenings sitting around a fire under the stunning African sky or chatting on the viewing deck to see what animals visit the area as night falls.
Project Highlights:
- Improve your photography skills in a 3 day intensive course taught by an experienced professional photographer
- Stay in the heart of a Big 5 Game Reserve
- Take pictures of the extensive wildlife on regular game drives.
- Learn and photograph smaller species of flora and fauna
- Help to create a photo database for awareness and educational purposes
- Help raise awareness in the local community about the importance of conservation
- Assist on conservation initiatives within the Park e.g. Snare Sweeps and Alien Plant control
- Supporting The Thanda Foundation
- Make friends for life!
Thanda Game Reserve Wildlife Photography and Conservation Education project offers a varied range of photography and conservation components. Volunteers will start with an in-depth orientation, followed by an intensive 3 day photography course with a professional photographer to improve on your photography skills. A further 3 weeks will be spent photographing the phenomenal wildlife in the park, which boasts all of Africas Big 5 (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo and Leopard) and also doing conservation partnership with the Thanda Foundation. Those that wish to stay on for an extra 2/4 weeks, will be working closely with the research volunteers to assist them in gathering photo research that is still needed. They will also have the opportunity to visit neighbouring reserves, such as Pongola.
Your project managers are responsible for organising your daily activities, which will vary from day-to-day. A typical day may look like this:
05:30 – Get up and get ready for your morning drive
06:00 – Depending on the schedule you will usually head off to the photography area for that day on a game drive to capture photographs of the wildlife, landscapes or people around the area
09:30 – Return for breakfast and to edit your photographs
12:30 – Lunchbreak
14.00 – Start of your afternoon projects. You may be working on adding your new pictures to the database, or you may work on a conservation activity
16.30 – You will evaluate the day with fellow volunteers and project coordinators, and discuss the schedule for the next day
18.30 – Dinner. After dinner, you may be presenting your top 5 images to the other volunteers
Morning times and end of day times do vary depending on where you are visiting and best conditions for taking photographs, for instance if you are going on a day Game drive you will start much earlier e.g. 05:00 am
Please note: Volunteers are given Saturday and Sunday off each week.
4 WEEKS – £1729
6 WEEKS – £2249
8 WEEKS – £2759
Need a quote on your airfare to Thanda? Please ask a member of the team for our latest prices and special offers.
Make your mark with the Thanda Game Reserve Photography Course
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