Field report from the National Park in South Africa

My time in the wildlife project in South Africa was just unforgettable. I was 7 weeks ago, from the 14.10. to 5.12, in South Africa, and I enjoyed every second.

The work in the national park

The work in the national park consists of going on two game drives a day, documenting and photographing the animals you see and also doing conservation work. Conservation work includes, for example, tree wrapping, wrapping trees with wire to protect them from elephants, or removing alien plants. There are also many different camera traps that need to be evaluated and their data transferred to the computer.

In the wildlife project you have the opportunity to spend the whole day in the fresh air in one of the most beautiful national parks in South Africa. You live with the entire team and up to 11 other volunteers of all ages in a house or on the site on the outskirts of the national park. The team is helpful, friendly and lots of fun to be had with everyone. The park and local wildlife are just amazing. I've seen everything from the most colorful of birds to turtles and porcupines, giraffes, cheetahs and the Big 5. With different things to see every day and no game drive going the same way, there's never a dull moment. Even after 7 weeks I didn't want to miss a drive and I wasn't ready to go home by a long shot.

My conclusion in my time in National Park

Most volunteers are around 3 weeks in the project, which is a very good time to see everything you want. For my part, I can say that I'm totally satisfied with my 7 weeks, because of course you develop a completely different relationship with the whole team when you're there for a longer period of time. I can only recommend every animal and wildlife lover to do the wildlife project and have a breathtaking time. The project in the national park is unforgettable and I can say that I will definitely return.

Report from the National Park in South Africa, by Maria K., January 2018