Contribute to environmental research with conservation volunteering in a Big Five game reserve
A gap year in South Africa is the perfect opportunity to see some of the world’s most exciting wildlife in its natural environment. With this conservation volunteer project, you can get up close and personal with rhinos, zebra and lions, while contributing to important environmental research.
GapGuru works with a research organisation based in Welgevonden Private Game Reserve to provide gap year conservation work in South Africa. Welgevonden Reserve provides a natural habitat for over 50 different mammals, including the Big Five, and boasts a large population of white rhino, as well as some rarer species, such as the brown hyena and aardvark.
Despite its abundance of wildlife, Welgevonden faces a range of pressing environmental issues. The effective conservation management of the reserve relies upon in-depth research, which has previously been limited by a lack of resources. As a conservation volunteer, you can help to deliver research projects that safeguard the future of the ecosystem.
Gap year volunteer role: Volunteers on this gap year project work as research assistants to a team of dedicated wildlife experts and scientists. Your first week will be spent on a bush craft training course where conservation volunteers will be introduced to life on the reserve, including animal identification, tracking and behaviour.
The remainder of your volunteer project is spent monitoring wildlife and collecting scientific data. As a conservation volunteer in South Africa, you could be collecting wildlife samples from traps, helping identify rhinos, radio-tracking lions or making observational notes on the behaviour of contracepted elephants. This gap year experience really is one of a kind!
When not out in the field, volunteers eat and sleep at the reserve’s base camp where the day’s conservation work can bring up some fascinating debates! Occasionally the research team will braai in the bush and sleep out under the stars.
Your gap year experience While your days on this conservation volunteering project will be very busy, the work is fascinating and gives you the opportunity to interact with some of Africa’s most magnificent animals across 36,000 hectares of spectacular scenery.
Gap year volunteers will gain a unique insight into some of the environmental issues facing South Africa, making it a perfect placement for anyone interested in wildlife who wants to learn more on their gap year abroad. While anyone with an interest in conservation in Africa can apply, this is an ideal gap year project for environmental students or for those doing relevant dissertations.
A gap year in South Africa is also a great opportunity to explore a country rich in culture and natural beauty. Our conservation volunteering project in Welgevonden places you within driving distance of South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg. From here you can easily reach any of South Africa’s main attractions, including Cape Town and Durban.