Conservation Work in the African Bush

  South Africa

Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: 1 - 12 week placements throughout the year

Description: Be part of it with i-to-i!
Our goal is to achieve 400 years of combined volunteering all over the world by the end of 2008.

So far we have achieved 325 years which when broken down means we achieved the following:

- Over 5500 children cared for on our community projects around the world
- A minimum of 13,000 children and adults taught English in schools and community centers
- Hundreds of animals protected including Turtles, Pandas, Elephants, Monkeys and more
- At least 80 homes and structures built for families and communities in need
- More than 8000 trees planted which are enough trees to offset the CO2 emissions of over 2,000 cars

Want to feel small again?

Despite the size of the African bush you're still likely to bump into all manner of animals from lions, cheetahs and monkeys to elephants, hippos and giraffes. This placement offers you a great opportunity to gain first hand experience of maintaining and expanding a nature reserve in the African bush. Fueled by the lifetime passion of the founder, the project intends to create a Bush Lodge from where people can explore the Cederberg Wilderness while at the same time raising public interest in the area. A wide variety of tasks await you if you sign up to the project, from maintaining hiking trails (which sounds like a good excuse for a hike to us) and observing animal behaviour to identifying flora and fauna.

Find out more about i-to-i, watch their short video here: http://video.i-to-i.com/site-videos/video.html

Highlights: What were the highlights of your trip that you couldn't wait to tell your friends about?

"I had an absolutely fantastic four weeks. The area we stayed in is a truly stunning place. My highlights include looking down into the valley at sunset and up into the stars at night- I found myself staring up at them for hours! The work was varied and I really felt that I was making a difference." (Andrew Edwards)

This placement offers a great opportunity to gain first hand experience of maintaining and expanding a nature reserve in the African bush. Activities include clearing trails, landscaping and land maintenance, planting crops, small building projects, general camp maintenance and even camp management. The emphasis is on offering you a unique bush experience where attention is paid not only to the wild animals, but also to all aspects of the local ecology. There are a variety of activities that allow keen conservationists of all levels the enjoyment of working and learning in the natural environment. The Cedarberg wilderness area offers opportunities for recreation in active sports such as hiking and climbing as well as cultural explorations discovering the area's history. For avid astronomers the night skies are a dream come true. Lifestyle after hours weekends can include fires in the Boma / drumming / musical instrument evenings / relaxing by the pool.

Qualifications: You should have a genuine love for conservation and African wildlife in general. The key thing is to have a hard-working attitude and eagerness to learn. This can be a demanding placement with early mornings and repetitive activities but the memories and sights will be worth it!

Cost in US$: US$ 890.00 for 1 week, US$ 300.00 for every week thereafter

* Foods: Self-catering (budget approximately US$50 per week)

* Airport Pick-up: Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!

* Training: In-country orientation

* Support: Pre-departure helpdesk, Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18 years old and above

This Program is open to World Wide Participants.

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

i-to-i Meaningful Travel's Mission Statement: Founded in 1994, i-to-i is an award-winning organization providing unique opportunities for you to travel, work and live abroad. Thousands of travelers aged 18 to 80 have joined our volunteer vacations and over 15,000 have learned to Teach English as a Foreign Language through our tailor-made TEFL courses. With over 300 projects on 4 continents, you can join the worldwide i-to-i volunteer community on an extended adventure in areas such as teaching, community development, sports coaching, conservation, building or internships in tourism, marketing, journalism, or health.

Year Founded: 1994