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Sunday, April 15, 2007
Strange but true or is it realistic?
Goldilocks and the Greenhouse
What makes Earth habitable? This LiveScience original video explores the science of global warming and explains how, for now, conditions here are just right.
The Controversy
The Effects
Kariega Volunteers Program
 VOLUNTEER PROJECTS |
To apply for an
Enkosini Eco Experience
volunteer project:
KARIEGA GAME RESERVE
(Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
The ultimate "Bush and Beach" experience!
This malaria free "Big 5" private game reserve is set in the stunning Eastern Cape of South Africa (approx 600 kms from Cape Town). Kariega is an extraordinary and exciting conservation project, at the forefront of numerous species re-introductions and conservation drives. The 12,000 acre 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, giraffe and zebra.
At Kariega, volunteers will not only be involved hands-on in conservation management at the reserve, but also get the opportunity to explore South Africa's amazing coastline. 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.
Volunteer Work
The Kariega programme 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. We ultimately want you to have a wonderful learning experience and leave with a stronger understanding of conservation issues feeling like you made an important contribution.
Volunteers will be provided with stimulating practical experience in the following three areas: research, conservation management and education.
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 (matriarch cow is fitted with radio collar). Elephant identification sheets are given to each volunteer who will assist in recording the unique ear markings of each elephant for management purposes.
• Lion and Hyena Tracking - This will be done with the aid of telemetry as certain individuals on the reserve are fitted with radio collars.
• White Rhino Monitoring - This includes a spatial requirement study and mapping of home ranges. Volunteer will compile identification records by noting ear notch patterns on individuals. This study involves work on foot searching for territorial dung midden sites.
• 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.
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 fulfill those needs as a volunteer. Daily activities are interesting and varied, and will include assistance with some of the following:
• Game Counts - when required by the reserve.
• Alien Vegetation Control - Volunteers will assist in the eradication and control of alien (non-endemic) plant species. This aspect involves physical hard work!
• Soil Erosion Control - Previous land utilization practices like cattle ranching has caused erosion gulleys in certain areas on the reserve. These sites need to be rehabilitated.
• Reserve Clean-Up Operations - Volunteers assist in pulling out remaining old cattle fences and water pipes on the reserve.
• Building Nesting Structures for Birds - certain dams on the reserve. Prepare to come out very dirty and muddy on the other side!
Volunteers may also have the opportunity to experience the following additional conservation activities:
• Capturing of Wild Animals - Our recent volunteers had the opportunity to assist with impala and wildebeest capture. Captures only occur when required by the reserve.
• Game Introduction - There is an ongoing programme for the introduction of additional game and we recently released hyena back into the area.
• Fire Management - An important driving force in savanna ecosystems (depending on the time of year and fire regimes)
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 include: principles of conservation, field skills and survival, habitat management and game management.
Lectures will be given on these topics on an informal basis throughout your stay. The theory provides insight into the value of the practical activities in which you may participate. The aim of these lectures is to enable you to gain a better understanding of the surrounding environment and the ecosystems it supports. 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 and Game Drives - identification and discussion of various mammals, plants and birds
• Coastal Systems Ecology - Fun time on the beach while learning about rocky shores ecology
• Sleep Outs - Camping out in the bush around a campfire under the African sky
• Field Skills & Survival - Learn to look after yourself in the wild
Excursions (included in all 4-week placements)
• Field trip to the world-renowned Addo Elephant National Park
• Canoe and fishing trips
• Trips to the beach
• River cruise on the Kariga Queen
• Weekly trips to nearby towns like Kenton-on-Sea, Port Alfred, Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown (shopping, internet, medical doctors, restaurants, etc available in these towns).
Many of these activities may take place in 2-3 week placements, but are not guaranteed.
Volunteers can also organize additional local activities at your own cost (and on condition that a few others in the group also want to partake in the activity), including:
• Horseback riding on the beach
• Whale and dolphin watching
• River rafting (including overnight stay on river bank)
• Sky diving (static line or tandem)
• Deep sea fishing
Field Conditions
You will be accommodated in a fully furnished house on the reserve. Volunteers will be divided into teams and will be responsible for the preparation of meals on a rotational basis. Once a week a buffet dinner is enjoyed with all the guests at the main lodge. There will be plenty of opportunity for braai’s (BBQ’s) under the night skies and socializing around a fire.
Costs
Volunteer Contribution:
2 weeks: GB£695 / US$1295
3 weeks: GB£845 / US$1695
4 weeks: GB£995 / US$1995
*Joint Discount* Volunteers receive a US$100 / GB£50 discount when joining multiple Enkosini Eco Experience programmes.
The volunteer contribution covers accommodation, meals, abovementioned excursions, transfers to the reserve from Port Elizabeth Airport or Grahamstown Bus Station, and donation to the project. Flights and travel/medical insurance are NOT included. The only additional spending money required will be for personal purchases (curios, alcohol, soda, luxury/imported goods, chocolates, sweets, toiletries), social excursions away from Kariega, and pre/post project travel.
Please bear in mind that the sooner you apply, the better your chances of securing your placement!
Dates
There are no set arrival/departure dates for this project. Volunteers just need to inform Enkosini Eco Experience of the date they are planning to arrive. Volunteers are required to sign an indemnity form acknowledging and accepting the consequences of working in close contact with wild animals. Applicants must be over 18 yrs old.
Transport
The closest towns to Kariega are Kenton-on-Sea, Port Alfred, Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth - approximately 600-700 kms from Cape Town.
Flights are available from Johannesburg/Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and buses are available from Johannesburg/Cape Town to Grahamstown. Arrangements will be made to collect incoming volunteers from either the Port Elizabeth Airport or the Grahamstown Bus Depot. Kariega is approximately 140 kms (two hours) from Port Elizabeth and approximately 50 kms (45 minutes) from Grahamstown.
Flights and buses can be booked online at www.kulula.com and www.computicket.com, respectively.
Other
Current tetanus, polio and Hepatitis A/B vaccinations are recommended. See FAQs for complete packing list.
Testimonials
"The Kariega experience was one which I will never forget. During the mornings while I was there the group of about 10 of us staying on the game reserve would do work such as fence removal, trail rebuilding, clean up farm sites, game counts, and alien plant removal. This type of work was physical but definitely rewarding because you could see how it was going to directly help the animals on the game farm and conservation of the habitat for the future. In the afternoons we got the opportunity to do some fun activities and see the game reserve a bit more. We went canoeing, on hikes, to the beach, and tracked down the lions or elephants. I'll never forget the feeling of first seeing the group of elephants and just how close we were, especially when they all started to get anxious and we had about 6 of them come at us...inches away from the truck. It was amazing just as it was when we would all of a sudden come upon the gorgeous lions. I loved being able to be a part of the game reserve, both living and working on it. This is definitely a great experience and one which I recommend to anyone." - Jennifer Banning
"As conservationists we live in a world with numerous challenges and daunting odds. However, we all share responsibility for the wise use of our resources and for the conservation of the diversity of ecosystems and species. It is this extraordinary diversity that makes Africa such a vibrant place to live in and to visit. You cannot love what you do not know. Come share our passion for conservation here at Kariega Game Reserve and experience the depth and scope of the challenge facing environmental conservation in Southern Africa." -Helena Odendaal & Andrew Warren, Kariega Volunteer Programme Managers
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