Read Timothé's account of his trip to South Africa as an ecovolunteer in a game reserve with VolonTerre Africa.
The mission that welcomed you
VolonTerre Africa - Research and conservation mission
Weekly rate
550 euros
The work of the ecovolunteer
"During my stay with the research and conservation mission, I took part in research missions for the conservation of species in a 25,000-hectare reserve in South Africa.
Twice a day, we went out for 3-hour safaris during which we geolocated the species, observed the animals... We collected data on the behavior and movements of the different species in order to compare them with previous data. A large database was thus created for scientific purposes.
In addition to the safaris, we had to carry out more manual work in the reserve, such as clearing the tracks, cutting down "alien" plants like cactus, or setting up water features for the elephants.
We also built an observation point for the birds.
I also had the chance to go on a walking safari, which is completely different from a vehicle safari.
There was quite a lot of work in the reserve and once back at base camp, we still had to enter data for research."
The positive points of the mission
> The e-mail exchanges to organize my trip were of good quality, as was the care and welcome I received on arrival.
> The time spent in the bush, close to the animals, without ever touching them.
> The rangers' explanations
> The general atmosphere with the rangers and other volunteers.
> The possibility of alternating between the two camps, the hard camp and the tented camp (two totally different experiences).
Negative points
> Wifi not always very good, especially in the dormitories
> Better management of our personal budget for extra shopping when we went into town on Mondays.