March, 2013 - Goodtrippers

Volunteer diary – Working on a South African reserve

Guest blogger James Bailey shares his diary of a volunteering project in Lapolosa Wilderness (with a trip to Kruger National Park)

On the spur of a moment I booked a two week adventure to volunteer in the African bush. This meant I could realise my lifelong dream of working on a game reserve. These are a few of my thoughts and highlights from the diary I kept during my first week spent at Lapolosa Wilderness.

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Sunday 4th November 2012: A hotel in Johannesburg

I hope they took on board my comments about dietary requirements – ‘all I expect is the opportunity to have a few cold beers after a long hot day in the field and I’m not particularly fussed by beans’.

I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty – building bomas, pulling up old wire and my favourite, walking the fence line. However, I’m most excited by the fact that they tell you to bring a sheath knife. But all I have is a Leatherman which feels a tad inadequate. Not quite Croc’ Dundee standards.

Monday 5th November: Lapolosa Wilderness

Arriving at Lapolosa I was blown away by the scale.The very fact that it is 17km from the main gate to the camp shows how immense this place is at 20,000 hectares. At one point when we crossed the brow of a hill all we could see around us was the reserve – pretty impressive as it includes a mountain range.

My chalet makes the most of the view, whether you’re in bed, on the toilet or taking an outdoor shower. There’s no doubt this way of life is very special.

I joined others at the volunteer house where our guide gave us a good overview of what to expect from our stay. Embarrassingly it took me ten minutes to find my way home. Stumbling about the bush in the dark I must have looked like a complete idiot to the local fauna. Luckily Lapolosa is not a ‘Big Five’ reserve…

Tuesday 6th November

A day of hard graft spent taking down rusty barbed wire fences left over from the cattle ranch days. The job was tough: lots of cuts and blisters along with ripped gloves and clothing, but worthwhile. It’s a tangible and satisfying thing to clean up the reserve for the forthcoming animal introductions.

I discovered that head torches and moths do not go together. I spent the evening pointing a second torch away to attract said moths from my face.

Wednesday 7th November

Today we got to break all the rules; we got to set things on fire! As part of the reserve’s fire management plan we had to burn off two blocks which totalled about six square kilometres. Quite surreal; if you weren’t lighting it, you were putting it out. I must have lit about 1.5km of linear bush. Whilst that was fun it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as beating out the flames that were coming back towards the fire break.

With the whole block contained and about to burn itself out you had something very tangible to be proud of. This was made that bit better by the thunderstorm rolling in to wash all the nutrients back into the soil.

Thursday 8th November: Kruger National Park

We were up at 03.40 for our three-day trip to Kruger. The weather was terrible but it didn’t stop us spotting a good haul of game on our two drives – buffalo, white rhino, steenbok, klipsringer, African hoopoe, pied kingfisher, giraffe, leopard tortoise and elephants.

The elephants came to our lunch stop after pitching our tents. There’s a whole commercial area of curio shops and restaurants overlooking the river where a herd of 14 elephants, including young, were feeding. Walt Disney himself couldn’t have done a better job.

Friday 9th November

Just as it turned 04.45 my alarm went off and like clockwork it started to rain again. The drive made up for the early awakening, highlights were leopard, hippo, spoonbill, cheetah, banded mongoose, sable, spotted hyena, lots of elephants, hamerkop, side striped jackal and a bedraggled honey badger. This cost me a bottle of brandy for the guide as that was my number one wish – well, after wild dogs but that wasn’t going to happen…

The tracking of animals in Kruger has met with the information age with BBM, Facebook and Twitter all being used to report sightings. However, to get the best sightings you still have to do a shed load of driving, be in the right place at the right time and know animal behaviour. Our guides did not let us down.

The early mornings are a killer but it does mean that your holiday lasts much longer.

Saturday 10th November

Pretty shattered after the Kruger trip – seeing the ‘Big Five’ is exhausting work – a lioness was spotted on our final drive. Spending time on Lapolosa and at Kruger has reinforced my desire for an outdoor life away from the hustle and bustle of city life – another dream…

Sunday 11th November

Late up this morning as it was our day off, it wasn’t a lazy day though! We went on a long hike in the blazing sun across the property for a cooling swim at Enkosini Falls. A great way to finish my time in the Mpumalanga Province. Tomorrow I head off to Siyafunda Conservation Initiative on the Makalali Game Reserve.

(Part 2 of James’ African game adventure coming soon…)

James’ Lapolosa Wilderness project trip was booked via Enkosini, a registered South African trust and a non-profit conservation project of The Lion Foundation. Enkosini works locally and internationally to encourage and promote a positive attitude towards wildlife and to insitute conservation-based employment. They believe that education and collaboration with the local community are keys to conservation.

For booking and further details of all their volunteering projects, visit www.enkosini.com (E: info@enkosini.com, T: +1.206.604.2664)

About the author: A Yorkshireman who lives in London but pines for Africa. Zoo advocate with habitat protection the ultimate, and don’t get me started on climate change nay sayers. Lets off steam through running, cricket and rugby.

Follow James on Twitter via @jhcbailey

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Natural Habitat Adventures named world’s best outfitter

US magazine ‘Outside‘ has named wildlife tour specialists Natural Habitat Adventures the ‘World’s Best Outfitter’ in its annual travel awards.

Natural Habitat Adventures (NHA) has been a leader in responsible tourism since 1984, organising world-class tours to some of the most adventurous and wildlife-rich places on earth. Whether it be small-group tours to the Galapogas, trips to view polar bears in Churchill, or secluded safaris in Botswana, NHA ensure their tours are sensitive to the local wildlife and environment (they’re also the world’s first 100% carbon neutral travel company!).

We’re impressed with their partnership with WWF – by sharing the same conservation and education values, the charity’s support ensures that NHA continues to offer the best holidays for tourists while respecting the local wildlife.

On awarding the accolade, Outside magazine explained, “Natural Habitat Adventures rose above the rest…Much of the world’s wildlife is going the way of the brontosaurus, and NHA is making valiant efforts to do something about it: it’s the official travel partner of the World Wildlife Fund, and since 2003 it has donated more than $1.4 million to the non-profit. In 2006, NHA started paying to offset its trips’ carbon emissions.”

Reacting to the win, Ben Bressler, Founder and President of NHA, said, “I am so proud of this award! It means we have been successful in our mission: to share the wild wonders of our planet with travellers who are as passionate about nature as we are, and to do it in the very best way possible — in small groups, led by the world’s best naturalist expedition leaders, in a low-impact manner that helps to protect the planet we all care so much about.

“I believe deeply in the value of travel. And when people travel to see wildlife — whether it’s the polar bears of Churchill, the whales of Baja or India’s threatened tigers — their lives are changed and so too may be the welfare of those animals.”

Worthy winners – congratulations NHA!

To find out more about Natural Habitat Adventures, and the trips on offer, visit www.nathab.com

Lost in Laos? Volunteering in Vang Vieng

Guest blogger Ellie Cambridge, of NGO Frontier, lifts the lid on the Laos Volunteer Adventure project

150km north of Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, you will find the quaint town of Vang Vieng which sits within a breathtaking and mesmerising location – it’s no surprise that this town has become a hot destination on the tourist and backpacker trail. The town is completely surrounded by limestone cliffs, at the foot of which you can find the town’s most famous natural resource – the idyllic Nam Song river. Tourists and locals alike gather here for kayaking or tubing – and you can hop off your chosen river transport and explore the numerous caves that Vang Vieng boasts. The town, which still manages to maintain a peaceful lifestyle, despite its popularity, also has several lagoons which are every bit as exotic as you’d expect.

But for those wanting to also make a positive difference to the area, Frontier’s Laos Volunteer Adventure makes the most of the beautiful surrounding while getting volunteers involved in work that greatly benefits the local community.

The project has one clear and precise goal – the sustainable development of the community. This is reflected in the project itself uses environmentally friendly building methods and farming practices (bio-gas, permaculture, and mud-brick), which will all assist in encouraging sustainable future development and will help preserve the natural environment for future generations.

Teaching for the future

The activities that volunteers get involved with on a daily basis are teaching, sustainable building, organic farming, bio-gas technology, water supply, and waste management. Teaching is valuable tool in terms of creating awareness and will help change the way that future generations approach sustainable development and farming. Volunteers on the project can make a real difference in the way the community flourishes by teaching (as creatively as possible) the importance of sustainability. Teaching English to young and enthusiastic children and young adults at the projects community centre is also conducted on a daily basis, which is important for their further education.

Farming the land and new technologies

An emphasis is put upon the ideals and practises of organic farming within the community. An important part of the project is to tend to the various crops of fruit and vegetables that are grown naturally in the fertile soil found on site. Tasks will also include replanting and harvesting when necessary, and volunteers will of course get to enjoy the fruits of their labour by eating the produce during meals! Bio-Gas technology is something that the project is currently setting up, and it is hoped that in the future all of the local homes will use this form of technology for energy; it decreases the use of firewood and generates natural fertiliser that can be used as part of the organic farming programme.

Click here to find out more about the Laos Adventure Volunteer project.

Recommended for… Anyone who wants to be submersed within a new culture and get hands on experience making a tangible difference in the lives of villagers.

Be aware that… Accommodation is clean and comfortable, but sleeping arrangements are shared dormitory-style.

‘Good’ credentials:

Grassroots, authentic volunteering experience
Long-term and sustainable green development

About the author: Ellie Cambridge works for Frontier, an NGO dedicated to safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, and building sustainable livelihoods for marginalised communities in the world’s poorest countries. Find out more about Frontier’s volunteer projects, ethical adventure trails and gap year planning.

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