EcoTraining Blog

CAMP DIARIES: SURPRISES IN THE BUSH – KARONGWE, 13 FEBRUARY 2012

2012-02-13T11:35:00.000+02:00

At the beginning of January 2012 seven fearless Europeans came to EcoTraining’s wilderness camp in Karongwe to learn more about the South African bush. And in the end, after their 28 day safari guide course, they managed to say that they saw three of the Big Five in just one afternoon. What a way to end a fantastic adventure!

Marion and Rita, two of the students, share more about their time at Karongwe:

After more than three weeks of intensive studying and walks or drives to explore the bush twice a day (early morning and late afternoon) we were ready for our final exam.

Now we would find out, how much we really had learned in that short period of time. We could feel the tension in the air when the papers of test number three were handed out. Three hundred questions about all topics needed to be answered within 2 ½ hours. What a challenge! And we all mastered it!

After lunch we jumped in our four wheel drive for our well-deserved afternoon excursion. When we turned on the radio we heard that there was a good chance to see a lion resting – and off we went.

In no time we reached the river and there the lion was, lying down in the shade. We were on the opposite bank of the river with no chance to cross. After a while we decided to move a little away from the river, stay in the area and come back later, when he would (hopefully) be more active.

We were still near the river surrounded by high grass, tall trees and thick bushes, enjoyed bugs, butterflies and birds and just listened to the voice of the bush.

Then suddenly we heard an unexpected sound of cracking branches. We turned around and not far from us was a good size elephant bull.

The second time that day we got nervous, but this time it was pure excitement! Our hearts beat a little faster with each meter the elephant came closer to the vehicle. The only one that remained calm and had the whole situation under control was our instructor Dale.

Over the last weeks we had learned to respect and, what’s more, to admire Dale for his patience with us, his profound knowledge and his great spirit. And once again he proved that we can trust him 100%. He moved our vehicle away when the bull was getting just a little too close, but just far enough that it would not spoil our experience. And one by one the whole herd of 14 elephants including youngsters appeared. It was simply amazing to experience these big fellows in their natural habitat so close by.

We were grateful that the elephants allowed us to be part of their privacy for a little while. With the information given by Dale we understood them so much better and felt once again like part of the bush. But eventually we decided to move on, so that they can be amongst themselves again. Full with all that impressions and in high spirits we drove back to camp.

Suddenly Markus called out “Rhino, behind the sickle bush!”

Dale stopped at once. First we thought that it was a joke, but then the white rhino came around the bush and trotted along the road. What an impressive and unforgettable sight! We followed the rhino a little bit and just like with the elephants enjoyed Dale’s inside view.

Now all that was left to see of the Big Four of Karongwe was the leopard. And really, not that much later we heard a very loud unusual sound, something like ”grr, grr, grr”. We turned around, but this time it was not an animal… instead, the stomach of Koen, our Dutchmen. It was time for dinner!

TAKING THAT SHOT: WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP – LEX HES, 18-22 APRIL 2012

2012-02-10T10:47:00.000+02:00

Almost every wildlife enthusiast has fretted about ‘the one that got away’, about ‘losing that perfect moment’ and “I wish I…” That is capturing a scene from the natural world that will still, long after the actual moment has passed; live on in a photo album, or nowadays a digital file somewhere.

If you want to enhance your capabilities of taking that shot, then join EcoTraining on a wildlife photography workshop in April with co-owner Lex Hes.

A naturalist and wildlife photographer, Lex has been involved in the world of wildlife for almost three decades. He is author and nature photographer with five books to his credit, including the highly acclaimed “Leopards of Londolozi”. His photographs have been published in numerous publications around the world and have been used in advertising campaigns.

Apart from being co-owner of EcoTraining, Lex is also a popular freelance nature guide and the easy-going and friendly manner in which he imparts his wealth of knowledge of Africa's ecosystems, is sure to make for a memorable five days.

Just listen to his diary excerpt from the wildlife photography workshop towards the end of last year:

“… Next morning, under an overcast sky, we left camp at 05:15 and a few minutes later Cecile spotted a large male African wild cat crouched in the grass. He slunk off to a nearby bush and settled down in front of the bush in clear view and proceeded to groom himself.

What followed was about 30 minutes of the best viewing that I have ever had of an African wild cat as he groomed himself, sat and looked around, stalked something and groomed himself again. He eventually casually moved off towards the south. The overcast conditions provided us with beautiful soft lightning and we all got great shots…”

Taking great wildlife photos is not as easy as it looks though. There is a lot of thought and time that goes into producing those great images that we see around us. The purpose of EcoTraining's wildlife photography workshop is to reveal some of these thoughts to budding wildlife photographers and at the same time to give photographers time and opportunity to put these thoughts into action in the field under the guidance of an experienced photographer.

We start the course with a discussion on the equipment needed to become a versatile nature photographer and then we go on to discuss the various elements that combine to make up a good nature photograph. Participants will spend mornings and afternoons in the bush looking for photographic opportunities followed by a lecture each day and constructive criticism of any digital photos taken during each activity.

A typical daily programme at the camp follows a routine of rising early, usually before sunrise, enjoying hot coffee and biscuits while you listen to the bush waking up and then leaving the camp for the morning drive and photography session in the wilderness.

You will get back to the camp at about 11:00, ready for a hearty brunch, where after Lex will present a lecture on the topic of the day. Then you will be free to have an afternoon siesta; practice your newly learnt knowledge and techniques or simply relax and absorb the nature around you.

At about 15:00 afternoon tea and eats are served before you head out on the afternoon drive for another photo workshop session in the wilderness. After dinner, there will be time around the camp fire for informal discussions on the day’s photographic events.

Put this unique wildlife photography workshop on your to-do list for 2012! Book your place by contacting enquiries@ecotraining.co.za for more information.

CAMP DIARIES: UNDER THE STARS ON THE BANKS OF THE LIMPOPO RIVER – MAKULEKE, 9 FEBRUARY 2012

2012-02-09T10:39:00.000+02:00

“In our so called ‘busy civilised lives’ it was an amazing experience to be far from civilisation yet want for nothing. To be alone in your own head with only the majesty and beauty of the wilderness for company is an incredible experience, one that everyone should share…”

This is how Stuart Gadd, a FGASA Level One field guide course student, described an outing deep into the bush in the northern Kruger National Park where our wilderness camp lies in the Makuleke concession. He was invited to accompany the trails guide students for their walk and sleep out.

He continue in his own words:

After our briefing we gathered all of our gear which basically was food, water, sleeping roll and bag, water, toothbrush and more water. The route was explained and Skigh led the walk with Bruce (head instructor) at as back-up.

We headed in a south easterly direction past the amazing fever tree forest heading towards Nhlangaluwe pan. This was an incredible sight because three days ago, cat fish were visible flapping about for air, now it was full of water with a black duck, terns and herons in it.

The theme of the walk was to experience the wilderness that is the Makuleke Concession. The group kept any noise to a minimum and it was an incredible experience to be at one with the sounds of nature and the sights and smells that it provided.

Everywhere I looked was something new and awe inspiring – from the dung beetles busily rolling, to the buffalo encounters that we had, through to incredible shapes of baobab trees.

We had a short break on the banks of the river and disturbed a Pels fishing owl. We all ran to get a better view, Bruce proverbially being the most excited of all of us. We watched in awe as the owl was mobbed by four yellow-billed kites.

After this we carried on, getting very close to buffalo on a number of occasions. I was beginning to get tired so was glad when we came to the jackal berry forest to have an afternoon siesta and lunch.

What a magical place! It was like entering an air conditioned room. Huge trees on all sides and the floor was completely clear of vegetation. It was a place to let your imagination wander. A troop of baboons approached and didn’t seem to know what to make of these sleepy humans in their path. I’m not sure who was more interested in watching, us or the baboons.

After lunch we carried on and had an encounter with a herd of more than a 100 buffalo that thundered off one way and then the other way, kicking up clouds of dust in the process. They came very close for a better look and my heart rate increased. A real adrenaline rush! We carried on and maintained the silence.

After some 22 kilometres we reached the sleeping spot on the banks of the river and set up our sleeping spots. Some people may say that they have been to gourmet restaurants but for me the most incredible meal that I have had is eating rice and noodles from a packet sitting on the banks of the Limpopo River. Our lighting was the stars and our music was the bush sounds of hippo, insects and frogs. Who could beat that, what more do you need?

We had a small fire going all night, although some of the groups’ idea of ‘small’ was very interesting.

Everyone had an hour to be on duty during the night, just in case animals came to investigate our presence. My hour alone passed so rapidly. It was a lovely experience to be totally alone with only the stars, fire and my own thoughts for company.

After a night’s sleep, we packed up and cleaned away all signs that we had been there and walked off towards Crooks Corner. This was a short walk relatively, but again amazing to be walking in the wilderness. After a short time we met up with Vaughn and I can honestly say that a cup of coffee and biscuit has never tasted so good.

In our world of materialism this was such a refreshing change and life experience.

(Thank you Bruce Lawson for the photos!)

CAMP DIARIES: OF LIONS, WARTHOGS AND AARDVARK – SELATI, 8 FEBRUARY 2012

2012-02-08T10:47:00.000+02:00

In nature, you don’t always have had to see the actual event to know that something exciting happened. The evidence left, or lack thereof, can make you conjure up a thrilling tale of whatever took place.

Just ask the group of students that started their yearlong professional field guide course at Selati a month ago. They are on their way to our wilderness camp at Karongwe where they will continue their course, but before they left, Selati had one more surprise on offer.

During a morning activity exploring the Selati landscape, they came across the scene depicted in this photograph. A large male lion dug up the aardvark burrow where a warthog mother and her piglets were taking refuge. The end result? The lion got a pig for dinner and there’s now one less warthog in Selati.

Chris (assistant instructor) said they were aware of the lion in the bushes, but it was just too dense for a good picture.

One may ask why a warthog would seek refuge in an aardvark hole.

Unbeknownst to most people the aardvark plays a huge role in the survival and distribution of other species. The holes dug by the aardvark as shelter are utilised by other species for their own shelter and protection.

Warthogs are no exception.

These animals are very small and almost naked at birth. They are prone to hypothermia and death ensues. Aardvark holes provide a readymade home where they are protected from the elements and predators. The female’s movements create a hollow for her body and a shelf is created where the piglets are above any water that might flow into the hole. They are also less likely to be squashed by her when she moves.

A great debt is thus owed to the nocturnal snuffler that is the aardvark. Just don’t forget that the lion is still “the king of the jungle”.

(Thanks Chris for the photos and Mark for the info on the aardvark!)

CAMP DIARIES: THE BUFFALO HAD OTHER PLANS – MAKULEKE, 7 FEBRUARY 2012

2012-02-07T10:41:00.000+02:00

The inhabitants of the natural world march to their own beat; do whatever they want whenever they want, even if the text books may suggest something else. And sometimes the best laid plans get thwarted by animals just being animals. Exactly like the group of students (FGASA Level 1) at our wilderness camp in the northern Kruger National Park found out. Instructor Mark Gunn tells their story:

27 January: We tried to go frogging this evening followed by a star session. Plans were made and the cooler box packed for a drink afterwards. Upon arrival at the chosen site we were greeted by a herd of buffalo. While waiting for the buffalo to move off a leopard came walking down the road and passed within two meters of the vehicle. We followed the leopard and when it walked off into the bush we went back to try for the frogs. The pan was too far from the road though and the grass too long. We went to the water trough instead, but there were only tadpoles and mosquito larvae.

The next option was to do a star talk. This was about the only thing that went to plan. The sky was clear, the moon had set and there was no light pollution.

Lesson learned – when an interesting distraction happens, adapt to the new situation. Can you imagine the reaction if I had ignored the leopard just because we were on a frogging trip?

29 January: One of the students planned a walk to the jackal berry forest. She had heard of it and as part of the course organised the walk. We started early by driving to the Manqeba windmill and then planned to walk at an angle across the flood plains of the Limpopo river to the forest close to the banks of the river.

A herd of buffalo seemed to have other ideas though. We could not occupy the same piece of real estate as the buffalo and because they are bigger and more numerous than us they had the land, we had to wait. Two pauses for the passing herd and we were off again.

By the time we got back we had added eight buffalo encounters to our score. We unfortunately scared a large herd and they thundered off across our front. The stampeding buffalo were quite a sight.

What a fantastic forest! We rested under the jackal berry trees for about an hour before returning to the vehicle.

(Thank you Mark Gunn for the photos!)

NEWSLETTER: FEBRUARY 2012

2012-02-06T15:21:00.000+02:00

“… I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility…” (Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild)

We are already into the second month of 2012 and the possibilities with EcoTraining for the rest of the year are endless. Have a look what is coming up, courses on offer, what we’ve been up to so far and other interesting snippets!

WHAT’S COMING UP / IMPORTANT DATES AND REMINDERS

If you have the urge to have a quarterly break after the first slog of 2012, get yourself a place on one of the following EcoTraining short courses on offer in the next two months. Come on, you won’t regret it:

6 – 12 March: Birding in the Bush – Makuleke: For all the birding enthusiasts, this is a very practical course, designed to broaden and enrich your knowledge and skills by educating you about the fascinating world of birds and the interdependent relationships between them and other life forms.

14 – 20 April: Tracking – Selati: To unravel the mysteries of nature even further, book a place on a unique seven day tracking course with EcoTraining and Adriaan Louw, one of the most highly qualified trackers and trainers in South Africa. It is fun. It is hands on. It is life changing!

18 – 22 April: Wildlife Photography – Galago: Under the guidance of Lex Hes, co-owner of EcoTraining, you will be given the time and opportunity to put into action the thought processes behind the making of good wildlife photographs.

And here’s what is happening on the environmental calendar in the next month:

19-25 March National Water Week

23 March World Meteorological Day

LATEST NEWS

Camps: It’s been three weeks since the devastating floods that caused extensive damage in the greater Hoedspruit area in Limpopo where our wilderness camps in Karongwe and Selati are situated. We are glad to report that apart from the odd bits and pieces that got carried away with the water, all is well and both camps are fully operational and at the ready to welcome students!

Selati: What this camp had on offer since the beginning of January – homemade Dutch apple pie by Dan (one year student), a sleep out with a very vocal assistant instructor Chris sawing the night away, showcasing some talents with handmade bows and getting stuck in the mud with a couple of curious lionesses a stone’s throw away.

Karongwe: After rescuing gas bottles, fuel cans and the all-important drinks fridge, the students on the 28 day safari guide course had themselves some fun with a day in the Kruger National Park. The highlight of their excursion included wild dogs and cheetahs, two of the most endangered carnivorous predators, very fortunate indeed!

Makuleke: Although the group of students (trails guide and FGASA Level 1) at our wilderness camp in the northern part of the Kruger National Park got spared the massive amounts of water, they still had fun in the mud. Together with great sightings, including huge herds of buffalo on the flood plains, rhinos dust bathing at a drink spot and lions at a safe distance, the last month up here has been one great adventure.

Mashatu: Communication with our camp in Botswana is not the easiest thing, being at the mercy of modern technology and Mother Nature, on top of being way out there in the wilderness. But the bush telegraph has it that exciting sightings, including lions and leopard on foot, were all part and parcel of life up there. Watch this space for more details soon!

Office: EcoTraining has been making the headlines internationally.

From Lugano, Switzerland comes the news that The Work Style Company has awarded EcoTraining one of the ten best work style companies worldwide for 2012. The best work style award is a unique initiative that puts to the foreground a new conception of excellence based on five carefully balanced criteria: identity, emotion, architecture, environment and organisation. It is the only company in Africa that was in the finals (top ten) after the international evaluation of 230 companies.

Also, read the following article that appeared on a very popular German online magazine: http://www.spiegel.de/reise/fernweh/0%2c1518%2c811351%2c00.html

Environment/conservation: According to the Environmental News Network (ENN), the world is currently losing species at a rate that is 100 to 1000 times faster than the natural extinction rate, further, it is currently seeing the sixth mass extinction. The previous mass extinction occurred 65 million years ago, and was caused by ecosystem changes, changes in atmospheric chemistry, impacts of asteroids and volcanoes. For the first time in history, the current extinction is caused by the competition for resources between a single species Homo sapiens and all others.

We simply can’t afford the loss of biodiversity in the natural world at this alarming rate. Get behind the science, and join EcoTraining on one of our conservation and research courses. Visit our website for more information or email enquiries@ecotraining.co.za for details.

“MEET YOU IN THE BUSH”

EcoTraining is the oldest field guide training company in Africa, being in operation since 1993. Many students from South Africa and all over the world, whether seeking a professional career in the bush or just being a very keen nature enthusiast wanting to know more, have passed through our wilderness camps. For sure there are many stories to be told from the last 19 years! We want to know where you are now and what has happened since you took part in one of EcoTraining’s courses. Inbox us on Facebook (EcoTraining – Africa’s wilderness calls you) or send an email to liryndej@hotmail.com and we’ll get back to you to gather all those bush tales and photos you have accumulated. Looking forward to it!

CONTACT INFORMATION

EcoTraining – Africa’s wilderness calls you

EcoTraining Botswana

EcoTraining Mashatu

EcoTraining Southern Camps

EcoTraining Makuleke

Also visit us on www.ecotraining.co.za and if you have any questions or queries, send an email to enquiries@ecotraining.co.za.

(Thank you Mark Gunn and Brian Rhode for the photos!)

CAMP DIARIES: HIDDEN TALENTS – SELATI, 3 FEBRUARY 2012

2012-02-03T10:06:00.000+02:00

If you book a place on EcoTraining’s yearlong professional field guide course, chances are you most likely want to enter the guiding industry fulltime. Otherwise you are probably after one heck of an adventure and a holiday with a difference. And if you get the chance to show off some of your hidden talents in the process, why not?

Like Dan, currently at our Selati camp where he started his year course at the beginning of January. One night Dan treated his fellow students and the Selati staff to a fully cooked braai and dessert. Ever the Boy Scout, Dan has since been renamed Masterchef Dan, after showcasing his culinary skills. His meal included homemade apple pies which he cooked in a Dutch oven over coals. Yummy!

While Dan was slaving over a hot fire, a few of his fellow students were having fun in the Selati river, well, guess somebody had to do it, as is evident here…

There has also been some very good riverside birding at Selati lately, after the heavy rains from a couple of weeks ago.

The students also tried their hand at making bows. Teams spent the morning collecting natural materials and then constructing their bows. Then it was time for action!

And saving the best for last – at first sight, a rhino track, that’s easy enough. But if you look closer, there’s an African wild cat’s spoor in the centre between the two side toes of the rhino!

(Thanks Claire and Chris for the photos!)

CAMP DIARIES: IT’S SLEEPOUT TIME! – SELATI, 31 JANUARY 2012

2012-01-31T08:17:00.000+02:00

When you book an EcoTraining course, specially the longer courses, the sleepout on the itinerary always creates a great deal of anticipation. Lying in your sleeping bag, with the magnificent night sky as your ‘roof’, is just something else. Claire, wife of lead instructor Wouter at our Selati wilderness camp, describes the sleep out of the year group that started their course at the beginning of the month:

The group of 15 students, 1 volunteer and two instructors attempted to track some of the rarer species that are sometimes seen in the reserve, but without luck. They did however identify some female leopard tracks.

The weather held out for a lekker braai (‘lekker’ meaning great and ‘braai’ being a barbeque on an open fire) and successful sleep out. It was a very clear evening, perfect for star gazing and Wouter promptly gave the students a lecture on astronomy, using the night sky as his canvas. Night watch teams stayed up in pairs for an hour at a time, scanning with flash lights and keeping the firing burning. This allowed everyone to get some sleep, and those on watch to experience the night sounds.

Chris Stamper (assistant instructor) entertained everyone with his audible snoring.

Hyenas called close to the camping spot in the early hours of the morning and upon return to camp, some of the students promptly went for a nap. Wonder if Chris had anything to do with this, mmm…

(Thanks Claire and Chris for the photos!)

28 DAY SAFARI GUIDE COURSE - COME JOIN US!

2012-01-30T07:48:00.000+02:00

Imagine 28 days of living and learning in nature at our wilderness camps and then using this knowledge to give your safari and bush holidays a whole new meaning. Then join EcoTraining this year at Karongwe and Makuleke on one of our safari guide courses!

This is our well-known comprehensive field training course aimed at those wishing to experience a bush holiday in South Africa, whilst also learning about the environment they are in – it is for those that are passionate about nature, who would like a more in-depth experience and understanding of it.

It is a learning experience from the minute you arrive with the days starting at first light (in summer as early as 04:30). Then a quick sip of coffee and some rusks before the different groups goes off – either on a vehicle or on own steam through the bush. For the next couple of hours nature is the classroom, with the instructors sharing their knowledge and wisdom. And heads are shook in amazement about how little we know and how much more still lies hidden.

Mid morning it’s back to camp for a hearty breakfast/brunch. Then it is lecture time, with a range of subjects including geology, ecology, weather and climate, taxonomy, astronomy, mammals, reptiles, birds and animal behavior.

The grey matter then gets some breathing space to digest all that information. Lunch is served a little later before everybody goes bundu bashing again until sunset. Dinner is a welcome relief for the hungry after a very long but rewarding day. But still it’s not the end, the telescope is directed at the night sky and the stars, planets and constellations come alive.

And this is basically the rhythm for 28 days. There’s not much time for lazing around in the tents, in summer it’s too hot anyway with temperatures rarely moving out of the 30’s. And here in the bush winter is only slightly milder. Who wants to hide away anyway with so much to discover?

Then it’s that time, to see if something stuck somewhere. If you successfully pass the 3 written tests, 2 oral presentations, 2 practical evaluations and a walk and game drive evaluation, then you will obtain an EcoTraining certificate.

Because, as they say, there’s no conservation without education. So become a green warrior and join EcoTraining on the adventure of a lifetime! Email enquiries@ecotraining.co.za for course dates and more information!

CAMP DIARIES: “PSSST, LIONS!” – MAKULEKE, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, 27 JANUARY 2012

2012-01-27T08:18:00.000+02:00

A walk through the famed fever tree forest in the Makuleke concession in the far northern part of the Kruger National Park, and then venturing out onto the open floodplains, is something to be treasured on any given day. Add to that the whisperings of “Pssst, lions!”, and it turns into something magical. The students currently at Makuleke doing a trails guide course (with Bruce as lead instructor) as part of their yearlong course, where just that fortunate. Here’s what some of them wrote in their logbooks:

Sarah: We were walking east around floodplain and then heard “pssst, lions!” They were about 150 metres away on the flood plain. The sun was to the east and lions were south. We were downwind but we had bumped into them, so they were completely aware of us and retreated back to a ridge. We moved to some shade and watched them for about 45 minutes. Both parties had multiple escape routes. Such a cool sighting!! Lots of awesome birds as well, Carmine Bee-eaters, yeah!

Allison: We encountered three lions south of our location on floodplain. We bumped into two sub-adult males and one female at 150 metres. The group ran to the edge of ridge line where they laid down. We were in the shade, downwind. We were able to watch the lions for 45 minutes. The lions were clearly comfortable with the distance (400m) but not less. 180 degree escape routes for people and lions. What an amazing encounter! Best walk ever. Bruce says hopefully we deterred them from going to Zimbabwe.

Louise: Soon after we were dropped off, we walked next to a floodplain where we saw lions running out. The sun was in the east with them being in the south and we were downwind from them. They retreated up into the ridge and watched us from the distance, being just as curious as us. They were two sub-adult males and a larger female. They were relaxed lying under a tree on a termite mound. We watched them for about 45 min before we headed back on our way. There were more than enough escape routes for us and the lions. This was a very special encounter and everybody was very excited seeing lions on foot for the first time and a jackal running around made it even more special.

A note on the use of the logbooks during a trails guide course: These log books are used as part of training, and students are encouraged to detail specifics about the encounters as a learning tool. It also allows FGASA (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa) to review and see what type of encounters they had, when verifying for qualifications etc. Items that Bruce requires students to note: cardinal directions, wind direction, sun position, cover/concealment, terrain/vegetation, escape routes (animals and trailists), approach/retreat, animal reactions.

CAMP DIARIES: A STICKY SITUATION – SELATI, 26 JANUARY 2012

2012-01-26T04:09:00.000+02:00

It’s been a week since the big rains in the greater Hoedspruit area in Limpopo, where our Selati and Karongwe wilderness camps lie, created havoc. The effects of all that water are still visible and for the year group that just started their professional field guide course at Selati, it literally got them stuck in a very precarious situation. Claire, wife of lead instructor Wouter, shares their adventure:

Saturday morning half the camp along with Wouter and I, headed out for an earlier than usual game drive in a bid to track some lionesses. I should probably preface this story by saying that we've had rain here this week, as you're well aware.

We set out at 3am and saw the odd genet and a jackal once dawn broke. After coffee and a rusk, we set out to find the lionesses. We eventually found the two of them in a clearing and made our way over for a closer look. After some photo opportunities we manoeuvred the vehicle to get a better look at the second lioness.

As we did so, we noticed the first lioness coming over and positioning herself some 15 metres in front of the vehicle, just watching us. Wouter commented on how strange it was that she sat point blank in front of the vehicle, staring at us. It was then we glanced to the left of the vehicle and noticed their fresh kill, a young wildebeest, lying in a small bush.

Being an ethical guide and true conservationist, Wouter decided to back up and give the girls a little more space. It was then that the wheels decided to do their own thing, spinning in all directions. We didn’t get very far before we simply sank, still within a stone’s through of the ever watchful lionesses.

After a couple of attempts to get free, it was clear that we were going nowhere in a hurry. Fortunately, we noticed the LEO workers (Limpopo Eco Operations Africa, doing predator research in Selati) passing by. We started waving with a little more enthusiasm than one would for a general greeting.

Adam and his assistant attempted to tow us out but became temporarily bogged down themselves. It was at this point that we realised that this was going to be an all-out effort to free the vehicle. With an audience of two interested lionesses some 40 metres away, who could ask for more adventure and excitement?

So, we all piled out the vehicle, albeit some more slowly than others, and the digging commenced. I don't think I took my eyes off those two felines for a moment, ok, maybe then for a couple of seconds to take these pictures.

Much digging and three failed attempts later, we finally got ourselves free and very great fully thanked LEO. We bid farewell to the lionesses, leaving them to enjoy the rest of their meal.

I bet nobody could’ve predicted the day we ended up having, especially after dragging our tired bodies out of bed in the wee hours of the morning. Great excitement and a real sense of teamwork are all part and parcel of an EcoTraining day!

(Thanks Claire for the photos!)

CAMP DIARIES: YOU DON’T MESS WITH THESE FEARLESS WARRIORS – MASHATU, BOTSWANA – 25 JANUARY 2012

2012-01-25T03:16:00.001+02:00

Sometimes you don’t even have to venture out of the confines an EcoTraining wilderness camp to experience one of nature’s unique phenomena. And it also doesn’t have to be big in size to be a very special sighting.

Just look at these matabele ants (Dorylus sp) that went on a raid at the edge of the fireplace at our Mashatu camp recently. Jip, they may be small, but don’t let their size fool you, they are some of the natural world’s most fearless warriors, and may it be added all female…

In South Africa, these ants are named after the Matabele tribe that swept through the southern parts of the continent in the 1800’s, destroying all before them. Elsewhere they are known as African driver ants.

These massive black marching columns are a sight to be seen on one of their missions, whether hunting for food or moving their bivouac to a new location. When on the go, the larger soldier ants will be positioned on the outside, flanking the smaller worker ants on the inside and thus protecting them.

Here at Mashatu it happened like almost everywhere else – first the scouts are dispatched to locate a source of prey, most of the time termites. They pick up the scent and then the colony congregates and follows, sometimes numbering in the millions.

It is fascinating to sit and watch how at first a couple of individuals manoeuvre at the front, going back and forth, sometimes seemingly losing the trail, then picking it up again, with the rest following.

And then, when these specialist termite colony raiders get to the source, it’s literally all-out war. The termite soldiers are killed first, pulled apart by the large pincers of the soldier ants. Then the nymphs and eggs of the enemy are carted back to be fed to their own queen, males, larvae and other ant colony members.

What makes this even more amazing and in true military style, is that none of their own gets left behind. Even with their mouths and hands full of the loot, the injured ant soldiers get carried back to the bivouac.

You see, it doesn’t need to be a pride of lions on the back of a buffalo dagga boy to be impressive. Here’s to the little guys!

“MEET YOU IN THE BUSH”

2012-01-24T10:18:00.000+02:00

For sure there are many stories to be told from the last 19 years! We want to know where you are now and what has happened since you took part in one of EcoTraining’s courses.

Inbox us and we’ll get back to you to gather all those bush tales and photos you have accumulated. Looking forward to it!

TRACKING COURSE: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY?

2012-01-23T11:53:00.000+02:00

What is that, who made it, when was it here, what happened? And if you didn’t see it, does it mean it wasn’t really here, there or wherever?

To unravel the mysteries of nature even further, book a place on a unique seven day tracking course with EcoTraining and Adriaan Louw, one of the most highly qualified trackers and trainers in South Africa. It is fun. It is hands on. It is life changing!

A vast amount of information can be gathered about mammals, birds, reptiles and invertebrates without ever having seen them. Although this may sound strange, every animal leaves some indication of its presence or passing whereby it can be recognised. And then the “reconstruction” of what could have, would have, should have happened…

You will be provided with an in-depth animal tracks and tracking course at our wilderness camps in Selati, Makuleke and Mashatu. It is all about understanding and learning to interpret so much more about the bush and wildlife as you search for tracks and find game.

The course outline is simple: the bush is the lecture room; the available tracks and sign, trails, and animals are what we work with. And then the questions from Adriaan, much in the vein of “Right, in the circle, who made that, with which foot, male or female, and how long ago did that animal walk here?”

For the novice a few marks in the sand, may just look like that, nothing more or less. The master on the other hand, though, will simply bend down on one knee, with the light in just the right place, view the track from all possible angles, and then without doubt identify the phantom animal.

Adriaan is one of those people that talks the talk and walks the walk. He is a CyberTracker senior tracker and evaluator (one of only a handful), member of the International Society of Professional Trackers and travels the world lecturing. The fact that he is involved with our tracking course set EcoTraining apart from most courses of this nature.

Adriaan started his career “in the bush” in 1989 in nature conservation. And although the tracking bug only bit a couple of years later, today it is of utmost importance in his profession.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are tracking lions or following poachers, without the skills of tracking, you are never going to be that successful. And the only way to learn this is to spend time in the bush, the ability to learn from others and the humility to admit when you are wrong.”

During the course we will alter between track and sign interpretation and trailing sessions. We start with the basics of trailing each other and as skills improve we start working animal trails.

If we’ve peaked your interest, then put your nose to the ground and follow the signs to enquiries@ecotraining.co.za to book your place!

CAMP DIARIES: HYENA WONDERINGS – MAKULEKE, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK – 20 JANUARY 2012

2012-01-20T09:39:00.000+02:00

News from our Makuleke wilderness camp in the north of the Kruger National Park: While out on an afternoon activity, instructor Mark Gunn and a group of 55 day FGASA Level One students saw evidence of a hyena making its way through the veld with what appeared to be part of a carcass. Mark tells more:

“We had tracked the hyena drag marks yesterday until the trail went into thick bush. We then back tracked it until failing light forced us to call the search off.

This morning we went back to continue the quest for the origin of the trail. On our way we heard elephants trumpeting so we diverted to try and do an approach. The fact that they were trumpeting showed that they were excited so we had to be very cautious. Despite our attempt we did not get near the elephants but did see jackal, impala, wildebeest, baboon and eland. We were moving so cautiously that the elephants outdistanced us.

We returned to our original mission and tried to follow the drag marks to their source. Each student took it in turn to do the actual trailing with the rest giving guidance. Thick areas of bush were negotiated very slowly with me going ahead to check and then calling the others through.

The trail lead back across the road and off toward the basalt ridges to the west of the camp. We had just swopped trackers and Severo had taken a few paces when he and I saw a breeding herd of elephants moving across our front at a range of 60-80 meters. We crouched down and watched them move through the Mopani scrub. We gave them some time to move off and for any stragglers to pass. We then continued on our line.

After four hours on the trail some of the group were feeling the heat and exertion. The end felt tantalizingly close but we had to let the weakest and slowest set the pace so we turned for home. On the way back we had our third encounter with eland and saw two groups of zebra.”

Sounds interesting? Then visit our website at www.ecotraining.co.za or send an email to enquiries@ecotraining.co.za for more information on any of the handful of EcoTraining courses on which you can experience something like this!

CAMP DIARIES: RHINOS DOING THEIR THING - MAKULEKE, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK (19 JANUARY 2012)

2012-01-19T04:08:00.000+02:00

What can be more exhilarating than watching rhinos “do their business”, and all this literally a stone’s throw away? Not only once, but twice in the space of a couple of days on top of that. No wonder the students described it as “so exciting”, “unbelievable” and “remarkable”!

Our wilderness camp at Makuleke in the remote northern part of the Kruger National Park got 2012 off to a great start by offering the students on a yearlong professional field guide course these fantastic sightings in the last week. They are currently busy with the trails guide component of their course (with instructor Bruce Lawson) and have been putting in many hours in the hot, sweltering summer weather. But the rewards, in sightings like these, more than make up for it.

One can easily put oneself right there in Makuleke and almost at the feet of the rhinos when reading the log book entries of the students. This is how Allison, American by birth but married to a South African, recorded her experience on that morning walk.

“We were taking a break at Palm Springs when four rhinos approached from the south, very close to our position. It was a cow, her calf and two sub adult bulls, possibly from the cow and around 4 years old.

We ducked behind a fallen log which was the only cover in the area. Fortunately the wind was strongly in our favour because we were a little too close for comfort and didn’t have anywhere safely to retreat to.

The two sub adults were sparring and the cow and calf were drinking. The two males then approached our location and Bruce stood up and shouted to make our presence known. They turned around and carried on sparring and drinking.

We then retreated about 15 metres into thicker bush and viewed the rhinos for an additional half an hour. They then retreated east.

This was by far the best encounter yet! It was great viewing their natural behaviour since at first they were not aware of our presence. Lessons learned today – wind direction is paramount for close sightings like this; also, stopping for too long at a well-used water hole, may not be such a ‘lekker’ idea!”

Note – for those not familiar with the world ‘lekker’, it’s an Afrikaans term for basically anything nice, good, great etc. and can be used for anything from food, weather, and an experience like this. If you join us on an EcoTraining course, you will become very familiar with ‘lekker’.

If that wasn’t enough, the students then viewed these rhinos (three bulls) a couple of days later. Albeit from a very different angle, but still just as magnificent. So sit back, and enjoy…

(Thank you Bruce for the photos!)

UPDATE: Latest from a rain soaked Karongwe Camp (18 January)

2012-01-18T16:00:00.001+02:00

Not even EcoTraining could escape the effects of the massive amount of water plummeting from above in the last 24 hours in the greater Hoedspruit area. Both our camps in Karongwe and Selati were hard hit. This is the latest update from Olga, our camp coordinator-turned-rescuer at Karongwe. Photos of the scene will follow:

“This morning Dale (lead instructor) and I were called out of bed by the ladies (cooking and cleaning staff) as their tent was about to be washed away. We quickly dressed and ran down to the communal area, where the water was already knee high with chairs sloshing around.

The students were all up and running around to save their belongings from their tents, while in the meantime trying to rescue the items that were being taken by the river. I had a quick look down the dining deck and saw that the drink list, with pen was still there. I waded through the water and grabbed it from the table tennis table to take it high and dry.

In the meantime the water level was rising fast. Chairs that were put on the old fireplace were not safe anymore, so taken higher up as well. The water level in combination with the force, now made even the drink fridge and cupboard float. Help! Dale and I quickly ran up, disconnected the gas bottle from the fridge and together with Volma and Lynneth (staff) managed somehow to get the fridge, still full with drinks, up the stairs.

Gas bottles and jerry cans started to wobble; chairs and crates were floating past, sometimes ducking under water so you would hurt your legs while wading across. The vehicles and generator were brought to safety, so there was space to move the fuel drums and gas bottles. This was easier said than done. These things are extremely heavy! While busy trying to move one, of course all the others, at the same time, started to tumble. Though heavy, they were not able to resist the strong force of the water anymore.

Everybody now helped wherever they could; dragging gas bottles, rolling drums, and helping Volma and Lynneth save their tent and belongings. Unfortunately, we had to see a gas bottle and some jerry cans float away. Well, I guess we will find some interesting things on our next walk down the river…

When most of the items were rescued, the river miraculously decided it was time to go down. Half an hour later the camp’s landscape looked like a sodic site. We entered the kitchen and there was a slight smell of fuel. Apparently one of the oil drums that tumbled had leaked. While the women started to fetch brooms and cloths to clean the kitchen, the men put the gas bottles back in place.

By 11:00 most of the water mess and damage was cleaned up and hungry tummies needed to be filled. Never did a breakfast feel so well deserved!”

CAMP DIARIES: MASHATU, BOTSWANA – 18 JANUARY 2012

2012-01-18T06:01:00.000+02:00

It was classic text book stuff – tracking and backtracking, waiting and listening, anticipation building, adrenalin pumping, and then action!

The group of EcoTraining students currently at our wilderness camp in Mashatu (Botswana) couldn’t have asked for a better start to their trails guide course under the guidance of experienced instructors Brian and Chantelle. Chantelle and her charges had to deal with a snarling lion while Brian’s group just managed to see the spots of a leopard disappear into a cave, but it still counts!

View it all here!

Chantelle was leading, with student Graham acting as backup, when excitement came knocking on their group’s morning walk.

Kyle, a South African student making a career change from previously studying teaching, logged the encounter as follows in his log book:

“We left in slight rain along the east west ridge, stopped to have a look at the waterhole, but there was nothing there. We had a route planned to go via the amphitheatre and picked up fresh lion tracks. There were only a few drops of rain on the track, so it was very fresh.

We sat in the rock pass, waiting to hear possible alarm calls, but nothing. We walked towards the river following the tracks through very thick fever berry crotons. Then we lost them but started tracking down to the river where we picked the tracks up again. They lead back into the fever berry forest and we continued tracking, walking in circles following them.

We heard what could possibly have been mating calls and walked on. A male lion stood up from behind a bush on the other side of a shallow rise.

We formed a line behind Chantelle and her rifle and the lion made his first charge to about 10 metres. Chantelle shouted at the lion (using some colourful language!) and he backed off before coming again. We then backed off leaving the lion.

Once at a safe spot, we got extremely excited about our encounter, it was absolutely amazing. The first lion encounter on foot, awesome, awesome, and yet again awesome!”

Brian went another way with the rest of the students that morning. And although they didn’t have a heart-stopping-blood-pumping experience, it was nonetheless a wilderness experience in true African style. Sometimes you see them, sometimes you don’t.

This is what Ashley, a yearlong student from the USA, recorded in her log book.

“We spotted a gymnogene (bird of prey) and then soon after had a fleeting glimpse of a leopard at about 100 metres. It was climbing into a cave. We had trees and rocks nearby for cover if it decided to charge. However, the leopard used the cave for cover and escaped. The wind was swirling and reducing our chances of seeing it again. We did find tracks, and noticed that it was those of a young leopard.”

Phillip, from the UK and on the yearlong course, was one of the very fortunate students to come face to face with that male lion. And as remarkable as the experience was, he went a little bit of the beaten track when musing on what one of his lasting ‘audio’ impressions of his time here will be.

“My enduring memory of Africa will be the sound of zips, whether it be tents or backpacks. If I go back home after this year, it’s that sound that will always bring me back.”

(Thank you Kelly for the camera, Kyle for the "shaky" footage and Brian for the photos!)

NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2012

2012-01-12T15:41:00.000+02:00

JANUARY 2012

Welcome to yet another year filled with endless possibilities and the call of the African wilderness louder than ever! EcoTraining is ready with an array of courses to suit all preferences – from the more serious that wish to enter the guiding industry on a full time basis to discerning nature lovers.

Let’s get started!

LATEST NEWS

· Camps: After enjoying a bit of respite over the festive season from the busy year-round schedule, EcoTraining staff is eager to welcome the next bunch of students (that’s you!) at the different camps, here in South Africa and also just across the border in Botswana and further north in Kenya.

Dale, Chris and Olga at Karongwe; Wouter, Byron and Jenn at Selati; Bruce, Brian and Dee at Makuluke and Brian and Chantelle at Mashatu. You will also come across Mark, EcoTraining’s roving instructor, and a handful of other instructors, chomping at the bits to share and impart valuable knowledge and information.

It’s going to be a hot start to the year, with sizzling temperatures pushing the mercury upwards. Summer rains should however bring relief while the bush will be alive and buzzing with activity.

Office: Most of you would have had some contact with the team from the head office in Nelspruit, obtaining information on the course you want to attend, are currently on or have just finished!

Angela handles sales and enquiries and Maritza the administration.

Marxanne deals with operations and logistics, Eugene is her right hand man.

Corne heads up marketing, Liryn is assisting with social media and the likes.

Anton and Lex are the owners of EcoTraining.

FGASA/ Industry: The FGASA offices opened again on 9 January. For the latest on exam dates, job opportunities and other news from the industry, visit www.fgasa.org.za

Environment/conservation: As we all know, rhino poaching in this country has reached epidemic proportions, from 13 in 2007 to 443 slaughtered in 2011. And already 20+ this year!

The street value of rhinoceros horns has soared to about $65,000 a kilogram, making it more expensive than gold, platinum and in many cases cocaine, as a belief - with no basis in science - has taken hold in recent years in parts of Asia that ingesting it can cure or prevent cancer.

EcoTraining has been involved in spreading the message about this critical issue and we urge once again – something has to be done if we want to conserve these magnificent animals for future generations. Join the call to action, and get involved!

LATEST PHOTOS

A picture speaks a thousand words, and if that is indeed the case, then these snapshots of life on an EcoTraining course is saying a lot!

WHAT’S COMING UP / IMPORTANT DATES AND REMINDERS

A full year lies ahead, endless with possibilities, so make EcoTraining part of the adventure in 2012! We’ll keep you posted on important dates and future happenings.

We are already half way through January, but it’s not too late yet to book your place on one of the following courses starting in February:

7 February-1 April – FGASA Level 1 Field Guide – Selati/Karongwe

8 February-6 March – 28 Day Trails Guide – Makuleke

23 February-29 February – 7 Day EcoQuest – Mashatu

And here’s the environmental calendar for the next 12 months:

2 February World Wetlands Day

19-25 March National Water Week

23 March World Meteorological Day

5 June World Environment Day

1-7 September National Arbor Week

16 September World Ozone Day

27 September World Tourism Day

4 October World Habitat Day

20 October National Marine Day

If you have any questions, send an email to enquiries@ecotraining.co.za.

28 DAY FIELD GUIDE COURSE LEWA WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY, KENYA

2012-01-10T16:25:00.000+02:00

2012 will see Eco Training return to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (LWC) in Kenya for two more 28 day field guide courses – 10 February-8 March and 3-30 August. There are still places available, so book now and explore the plains on the lower slopes of Mount Kenya teaming with a great variety of wildlife.

Not only will your 28 days be filled with exciting experiences while gaining valuable knowledge and insight into the natural world. You will also become one of nature’s responsible custodians for it has never been more important than now. The natural world is under threat with animal numbers plummeting, species becoming extinct and vast acres of land being gobbled up with human encroachment stretching its greedy fingers all over the globe.

And this is exactly the aim of the LWC and EcoTraining. For we adhere to the notion that there is no conservation without education. And with this at the core, we want to become “the model of excellence for guide training in Kenya”.

Lex Hes, who together with Ian Johnson and Anton Lategan are the owners of EcoTraining East Africa, says they want to impact where they can.

“There are more than 6 000 safari guides employed in the industry in East Africa, responsible for tens of thousands of tourist each year. We believe that there is a real need to supply a quality training service to these guides in order to improve their guiding abilities, to make them more responsible and to give them a sense of pride in what they do. For many of these guides, the tourism industry is the only career option available.”

Mike Watson, chief executive officer of LWC, concurs with Lex.

“We are in the process of developing a formulated syllabus for guiding standards in Lewa. EcoTraining, with all their expertise, is just the right partner for cooperation in this regard, especially with the combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience that is at the core of their courses. Between the Conservancy and EcoTraining, Lewa can become the focal point for the industry in Northern Kenya.”

The partnership between EcoTraining and Lewa got underway in August last year, with the first 28 day field guide course then held in that part of Kenya.

A diverse group of students from around the world attended the first course. And right from the word go, it was clear as daylight that they were all there for the same reason – to have fun while gaining a better understanding for all things wild and wonderful, and also to make their own contributions, however small, to the conservation of the natural world. As Suraj, from Sri Lanka, said “We can’t afford to let more animals go extinct.”

And what better way to obtain literally hundreds of interesting facts about Mother Nature and her inhabitants in a classroom setting like this – within sight of grazing Grevy’s and Plains zebra, browsing Reticulated giraffes, frolicking impalas and the twittering of superb starlings and white browed sparrow weavers. Not to mention the ever present vervet monkeys, with instructor Mark Gunn having to storm out with a “agghhh” on more than one occasion when they get away with some of the goodies from the kitchen tent.

The knowledge that is shared and imparted by experienced instructors like Mark, with more than 15 years in the industry, added to the wildlife training and safari experience of the students. The right philosophy and approach is very important to the LWC and EcoTraining, so that prospective guides that undertake these courses, impart those same conservation principles to their guests on safari.

The Safaricom campsite is the base of EcoTraining’s operations in the LWC and it is in this magnificent setting that the students woke up (some a little slower than others…) every morning. Returning to camp just as the sun was setting every day, with the lanterns lit and a scrumptious meal waiting, it really felt like home.

In between the early starts and the afternoon activities, the days were filled with lectures on a wide range of subjects, including ecology, geology, astronomy, mammals, reptiles, animal behavior to tracks and tracking.

The combination of the EcoTraining lectures and the method of teaching were reinforced by the subsequent practical experience out in the field, all under the watchful eye of Mark.

Julius, a community scout at the Ngare Ndare Forest Trust situated about 20km from the campsite who also attended the course, summed the worth of the experience up perfectly when he said:

“I enjoy very much what I’m doing. I share what I know with tourists and at the same time helping my community. And now, with all this new knowledge and skills, I can become an even better guide and help spread the message of conservation.”

Get in touch with Eco Training by sending an email to enquiries@ecotraining.co.za for more information on the course in Lewa.

ECOTRAINING PHOTO WORKSHOP

2011-12-06T10:24:00.000+02:00

ECOTRAINING PHOTO WORKSHOP

JAYDEES CAMP (18- 22 NOVEMBER 2011)

By Lex Hes

Temperature on arrival at the camp in the depths of the Timbavati was 38 degrees Celcius with high humidity, but this didn’t dampen the spirits of the 6 participants on this year’s photo workshop.

After settling in we served some tea and got straight down to business finding out more about each other’s photographic interests and discussing things such as white balance settings, ISO settings, image quality, over and under-exposure and the various other buttons and dials on the amazing technological wonder that is a digital camera.

With that completed we loaded up the game drive vehicle, two people for each row of seats and lots of camera gear. As we set off, a message came over the radio that a young male leopard had been seen in the Shlaralumi River a few kilometers away. We drove slowly in that direction, stopping regularly for photographic opportunities and when we got there found the young leopard resting on a dam wall. We waited and after a while he got up and slowly began to move through the bush, providing us with wonderful sightings. In particular, at one point, we were able to position the vehicle in such a way that the photographers were all close to eye-level with the leopard, which resulted in some great shots which showed the huge impact that is created by getting to eye-level with an animal.

Dinner around the camp-fire that night was extremely hot and humid and during the night a little bit of rain fell which cooled things down a bit. Next morning, under an overcast sky, we left camp at 5-15 and a few minutes later Cecile spotted a large male African wild cat crouched in the grass. He slunk off to a nearby bush and settled down in front of the bush in clear view and proceeded to groom himself.

The soft lighting also helped with some good viewing of a group of spotted hyaena at their den.

Later that morning we saw an adult female leopard hunting through the woodland. We were lucky enough to spend more than an hour with her as she tried to hunt impala until, as it got hot; she decided to rest in the branches of a tree.

After brunch we had an informal discussion about exposure followed by a rest period and time to download the results of the morning’s photography. During afternoon tea we had a look at the results and discussed ways to improve our photos.

The afternoon game drive yielded a very relaxed breeding herd of elephants in the very late afternoon after the sun had gone down. The low light was challenging for us all, but gave us the opportunity to experiment with high ISO settings and also with slow shutter speeds to create blurring effects.

On the morning of the 20^th of November we got some good viewing of a pair of white rhinos which we followed for a while as they grazed peacefully. At one point both rhinos stopped to defaecate and within minutes dung beetles began to arrive. We waited for the rhinos to move away and then spent the next one-and-a-half hours with our lenses sticking into the dung heap trying to get photographs of the dung beetles doing their thing! We watched them fly in, dig, create their balls, roll them away and then bury them. This kind of photography is a completely different challenge and the results illustrated the importance of good depth-of-field in close-up photography.

In the afternoon we had some sightings of buffalo and also spent a successful late afternoon with the hyaenas at the den.

The last full day of the workshop yielded an excellent sighting of a leopard resting in classical pose on the branch of an apple-leaf tree giving the photographers an opportunity to try many different angles and interpretations of the same subject as well as a great evening with a group of hyaenas at a waterhole, drinking, resting and hiding the leg of a buffalo in the water. Before going back to camp we followed up on a pride of lions hunting through the woodland in the dark.

During the night the rain began to fall and continued to fall through the night and into the following morning. We still went out and tried to get some shots of the rhinos in the rain, but the cold wet weather eventually sent us back to camp for a warm breakfast and departure.

For more information on the photography courses contact enquiries@ecotraining.co.za or visit our website at www.ecotraining.co.za

Biomimicry “The answers that nature provide”

2011-12-01T09:54:00.000+02:00

Biomimicry and its relationship to new ideas and or answers to problems experienced in different professions opened my eyes to the myriad of applications related to structural engineering, Architecture and design.

We spent four days in the bush as part of South African tourisms media tour with EcoTraining with Will Lawson, a naturalist appointed by Biomimicry South Africa to be the link between professionals and the intricacy found in nature.

Essentially we were thought how to interpret the bush and to find answers to problems related to structural engineering, workflow design, Architecture and medical fields.

Biomimicry on Safari (South Africa has become the second largest growth spot for Biomimicry after the US) I attached the course details related to Biomimicry to give you some insight into the 5 day Biomimicry Safari

Some examples that will astound you and expand your horizons are:

Termite mound; The termite is an essential part of every ecosystem in which it is found. It serves as nature's gardener; removing dead material and cycling nutrients in a complex system above and below the ground. Simply put, without them, the systems which they serve would collapse. Even though they are often found in extreme environments, they must maintain an internal temperature of around 87 degrees Fahrenheit. By opening and closing vents, chambers and tunnels in a complex subterranean network cool air is drawn in and warm, humid air is channelled out of a central chimney. In Harare, Zimbabwe, Mick Pearse designed and built the Eastgate Centre. The first building of its kind that used the time tested technique of the termites in order to cool 5,600 m² of retail space, 26,000 m² of office space and parking for 450 cars through entirely natural or 'passive' means. The result; a building that uses 10%of the energy requirements of a building of similar character using conventional means. Portcullis House, Westminster, London, copied the flow mechanism to cool the offices opened in 2001 for 213 members of Parliament and staff.

Shongololo Chair; This is the link for haldane martin and the shongololo chair; http://www.haldanemartin.co.za/overview.php

Haldane Martin is a contemporary furniture design company in South African, Cape Town. Haldane Martin is owner, director and designer of the company and has been working as an industrial designer for two decades. He has whole hearted accepted natural models as thought provoking stimulus to his award winning portfolio. One such design, inspired by the humble millipede is the Shongololo Couch. Reminiscent of Ueli Bergers 1970's style, the fractal nature of the chair mimics that of the segmented millipede. As the millipede grows, more segments develop to support and protect it's internal organs. As such the couch serves to rethink the way in which interior spaces are used and is a flexible and adaptable as it's natural model.

For more information on the 2012 Biomimicry dates please contact enquiries@ecotraining.co.za or visit our website at www.ecotraining.co.za for information on our courses.

The German's came to town

2011-11-18T11:39:00.000+02:00

I joined Will Lawson from EcoTraining and a group of German media participants from South African Tourism on a fact finding tour, on a very unusual Safari this week.

We tried to understand the inter connection of nature with its surroundings and how Biomimicry can be utilised to provide us answers to a myriad of questions.

The more time we spent in the bush, learning about examples nature provided while following the spoor of two male cheetahs that formed a coalition to enhance their menu options. The more I came to realise that we are a lot less advanced and inspired than we should have been. I realised that we had a full research and development team that we haven’t been utilising. We spend years in developing products that nature developed (better I might add) years ago.

This is one of the aspects that Biomimicry is all about, providing answers to structural engineering, Architecture and many more advances in our daily life.

For more information on the scheduled Biomimicry courses, contact enquiries@ecotraining.co.za or visit the website at www.ecotraining.co.za

"When we say meet you in the bush we really mean it"

2011-10-18T10:16:00.000+02:00

ECOTRAINING STUDENT UPDATE:

By Lex Hes

I am lucky enough to have one of the best jobs in the world: guiding overseas visitors to remote wilderness areas in Africa.

On one of my recent trips to Zambia I visited Kafue National Park where we stayed on the remote Busanga Plains, one of the places in Africa for seeing the greatest variety of African antelopes: bushbuck, sitatunga, greater kudu, eland, common duiker, blue duiker, yellowbacked duiker, oribi, common reedbuck, puku, lechwe, defassa waterbuck, impala, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, blue wildebeest, roan and sable antelope all occur here.

Part of our trip was a balloon trip over the plains which ended with a short drive to a grove of trees in the middle of the plains. As we approached the trees a young man came walking out carrying a tray. As we drew up I realised that the tray had a pile of damp face-clothes for us to refresh ourselves and that the man holding the tray was none other than Carl Diakite, an EcoTraining graduate who has just completed his one-year course!

He greeted us all enthusiastically and led us into the grove of trees where a wonderful full English breakfast was served to us at beautifully-set tables in the shade of a grove of large Sycamore fig trees (Ficus sycamorus). Carl, born in Cote de Ivoire, hosted us magnificently and in conversation over a cup of coffee after breakfast he told us that, after completing his course, he had been spending time in camps in the South Luangwa and at Kafue, where he had worked hard to understand what it takes to operate and guide in camps in such remote areas.

He has done so well that Wilderness Safaris, the top southern African tour operator, has offered him a chance to go to Congo Brazzaville in central Africa to help them set up and start operating their new camp in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Here he’ll be exposed to a whole new array of wildlife including lowland gorillas, bongos, forest buffalo, forest elephants and red river hogs as well as over 440 species of birds including African grey parrots, blue-throated roller, Cassin’s malimbe and Congo serpent-eagle!

This is the most rewarding part of what EcoTraining does. There is nothing better than arriving at remote wilderness areas and being met by graduates from our courses who guide and host us in such a professional manner.

Well-done Carl and we look forward to hearing all about Odzala-Kokoua in the near future.

For more information on the one year professional course at EcoTraining contact us at enquiries@ecotraining.co.za or visit our website at www.ecotraining.co.za

Crystal River - Colombia

2011-10-13T12:54:00.000+02:00

Cano Cristales - Crystal River. River of five colors, as the locals call it, originates in the south of the mountain chain Macarena, Colombia, and flows eastward to its confluence with the Guayabero river. In the Cano Cristales found five colors: yellow, blue, green, black and red. All of them are waste product of many algae and, depending on time of year, color saturation, or weakened or strengthened.

2011-09-21T16:35:00.000+02:00

Last year EcoTraining hosted a fundraising evening at White River to raise awareness and funds

for Conservation.

It is with great pleasure that we can report back to you that a total of just over R42 000-00 was

raised on the evening and that the money raised, together with an additional R10 000-00 donated

by EcoTraining, was used to ear-notch a population of rhinos in the far northern Kruger National

Park in the Makuleke Contractual Park.

The ear-notching exercise included the collection of DNA material which will ensure that any rhino

horn products will be traced back to their source, which could play a crucial role in bringing

poachers to book.

We hope that this contribution towards the expenses of this operation along with the contribution

made by Kruger National Park through their conservation work will stand the area in good stead

and will make a contribution to rhino conservation in general.

We at EcoTraining would like to thank all of you for sharing the evening with us and for your

generosity towards a worthwhile cause.

We also want to thank all the sponsors and Dr Rudi van Aarde that entertained and informed us

with his insights into Elephant management.

With very best wishes to you all.

Anton Lategan, Lex Hes and the rest of the EcoTraining team.

EcoTraining Kenya - Lewa

2011-07-18T12:17:00.000+02:00

Robert Bateman’s extraordinary donation. His painting of a ‘Cheetah at Lewa Downs,’ is to be auctioned by Copley Fine Art Auctions in Plymouth, Massachusetts on July 21st - all the proceeds of which will benefit Lewa. This is such a fabulous painting, both for its size and of course it is superbly atmospheric representation of Lewa, We are sure the canvas will be of interest to many Lewa supporters.

Robert Bateman was born in Toronto in 1930, and is considered one of the premier wildlife painters of the late 20th century. Working as a High School Geography and Art teacher for nearly 20 years, his success as a painter came in the late 1970s. Since that time he has been regularly honoured with awards and other various distinctions. In addition to receiving numerous honorary degrees from respected Universities across North America, his more recent awards include the Amnesty International Human Rights Defender Award; the Simon Combes Award from the Artists for Conservation Foundation, and the Niagara Escarpment Lifetime Achievement Award.

Bateman’s works have been exhibited in numerous one-man shows at museums across North America, including the Tryon Gallery in London and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. His distinctive paintings are in public and notable private collections across the globe, among them that of HRH Prince Charles and of the late Princess Grace of Monaco. Bateman’s paintings are constantly in demand. Robert cherishes his visits to Lewa, so this canvas of a ‘Cheetah at Lewa’ is particularly evocative and provides an extraordinary opportunity to acquire a Bateman painting of this significance.

For further details relating to the Bateman paintings or information to place a bid at the Copley Fine Art Auction on July 21st, please refer to their website at www.copleyart.com (You will find the painting by selecting the artist’s name Bateman from the dropdown box).

http://www.copleyart.com/sporting-art-auction-item.php?id=Bateman316&search=Robert Bateman (b. 1930)

Advanced Wilderness Trails Skills Course - 5 Nights

2011-06-09T08:03:00.000+02:00

It is not often that guides get quality time in the bush with other guides, learning from and listening to other guides’ stories. We never get time to be in the bush and share the wilderness spirit with each other. This, we feel is a great loss, as these guides are not able to reach their full potential. The very thing that attracts people to guiding and which they would like to share with their guests becomes stale and boring.

EcoTraining provides the opportunity to be able to backpack and go hiking and camping in one of the last remaining true Wilderness areas. All guides dream of this opportunity but very few are able to experience this. This will provide Guides with a bigger wilder picture and rejuvenate their tired spirits, providing better interaction with clients and furthering the greater cause of conservation.

EcoTraining’s 6 Day Wilderness Trails Skills Course introduces guides to one another which will allow guides to share their experiences and skills.

This is not a qualification course and has no set curriculum. However this does not mean you will not learn anything during the Trail. Bruce Lawson, one of South Africa’s premier wilderness guides, is one of only a hand full of guides who have passed the SKS DG and Birding qualifications, will be tutoring each course. Lessons you will be taught will not be found in any books but will rather be hands on learning. These include advanced navigation and orientation with an emphasis on map reading. Situational awareness, setting up eco-friendly camps and water purification without using modern techniques is but a few of the advanced skills you will learn.

Each Guide will take turns to lead the group, determining their own route to navigate the vast Wilderness area (Makuleke Concession in the Kruger National Park). Nights will be spent under the stars getting to know the environment and each other. The heat of the day will be spent in the shade on the bank of the Levuvhu River, possibly having a dip.

This is EcoTraining’s way of giving back to the industry and conservation, as well as providing aspirant guides with a platform to develop the true wilderness spirit within them.

Although game is plentiful, every effort will be made to avoid confrontational encounters.

Media Trip - Kraig Becker

2011-02-25T08:37:00.000+02:00

Some of the photos taken recently by Adventure Journalist Kraig Becker while visiting EcoTraining in South Africa.

EcoTraining Blog: "The Green Product"

2011-02-14T13:32:00.000+02:00

EcoTraining Blog: "The Green Product": "SA tourism in conjunction with EcoTraining just finished a media tour with 8 international journalists focusing on sustainable tourism and ..."

"The Green Product"

2011-02-14T13:28:00.000+02:00

SA tourism in conjunction with EcoTraining just finished a media tour with 8 international journalists focusing on sustainable tourism and as part of “The green product” tour. The journalists represented 6 countries and experienced the EcoTraining Makuleke camp in the private Makuleke concession in the Kruger National park.

We learned about the interrelatedness of all things big and small. We also placed a lot of emphasis on the need for biodiversity and Jonathan Leeming thought us the necessary skills and gave us the guts to handle live scorpions. A great experience for all of us

EcoTraining Blog: EcoTraining Biomimicry course in Kruger National P...

2011-02-02T08:06:00.000+02:00

EcoTraining Blog: EcoTraining Biomimicry course in Kruger National P...: "BIOMIMICRY SOUTH AFRICA and ECOTRAINING are joining forces to bring biomimicrytraining to field guides in South Africa. Nature as MOD..."

EcoTraining Biomimicry course in Kruger National Park

2011-02-02T08:00:00.000+02:00

BIOMIMICRY SOUTH AFRICA and ECOTRAINING are joining forces to bring biomimicrytraining to field guides in South Africa.

Nature as MODEL.
Biomimicry is a new science that studies nature’s models and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems – e.g. a solar cell inspired by a leaf.

Nature as MEASURE.
Biomimicry uses an ecological standard to judge the “rightness” of our innovations. After 3.8 billion years of evolution, nature has learned: What works. What is appropriate. What lasts.

Nature as MENTOR
Biomimicry is a new way of viewing and valuing nature. It introduces an era based not on what we can extract from the natural world, but on what we can learn from it.

~Janine Benyus, 1997

Who should attend thisBiomimicryworkshop?

• Existing professional field guides and field guides in training.
• Adventurous spirits looking for a learning holiday with a difference
• Tourists of all ages wanting an understanding of Africa's web of life and to gain a greater appreciation of the inspiring genius of nature

What you will learn ?

• An introduction to biomimicry
• History, philosophy and ethics of biomimicry
• Examples of biomimetic success stories
• The interface of design and biology
• How to apply biological knowledge to design challenges
• Biological and ecological principles relevant to design
• Sustainability challenges and potential bio-inspired solutions
• Practical application of biomimicry as a design & innovation tool
• How to facilitate biomimetic research & design

What you'll do:
• Solve a design challenge by asking "what would nature do here?"
• Practice applying the tools of biomimicry in a real world scenario
• Explore nature's genius through field-based activities
• Learn from(rather than just about) local plants, animals, and ecosystems
• Become acquainted with life's inherently sustainable design principles
• Learn how to translate nature’s genius into innovative sustainable design solutions.

What you'll take home:
• An understanding of the power of innovation for conservation
• A method for bringing nature's ideas to the design table
• Tools and expert contacts for further explorations
• A whole new way of viewing and valuing the genius that surrounds us

WHAT IS BIOMIMICRY?

ios” means life, “Mimicry” means imitate. Biomimicry is the practice of learning from and then emulating life’s genius to solve human problems and create more sustainable designs. Biomimicry is a branch of science, a problem-solving method, a sustainability ethos, a movement, a stance toward nature, and a new way of viewing and valuing biodiversity. (for a more comprehensive interpretation visit: www.asknature.org/article/view/what_is_biomimicry)

Examples:

The most famous example of biomimicry was the invention of Velcro brand fasteners. Invented in 1941 by Swiss engineer George de Mestral, who took the idea from the burrs that stuck tenaciously to his dog's hair. Under the microscope he noted the tiny hooks on the end of the burr's spines that caught anything with a loop - such as clothing, hair or animal fur. The 2-part Velcro fastener system uses strips or patches of a hooked material opposite strips or patches of a loose-looped weave of nylon that holds the hooks. Coolest application: Championship Velcro Jumping, first made popular in 1984 by David Letterman.

The high-rise Eastgate Centre building in Harare, Zimbabwe was designed to mimic the way that those tower-building termites in Africa construct their mounds to maintain a constant temperature. The insects do this by constantly opening and closing vents throughout the mound to manage convection currents of air - cooler air is drawn in from open lower sections while hot air escapes through chimneys. The innovative building uses similar design and air circulation planning while consuming less than 10% of the energy used in similar sized conventional buildings!

Contact EcoTraining for more information on enquiries@ecotraining.co.za

SECOND CHANCE FOR AFRICAN WILD DOGS

2011-01-13T14:02:00.000+02:00

A pack of 14 Endangered African Wild Dogs was reintroduced into the Tembe Elephant Park today, following extensive community liaison and preparation work over the past year.

It was an emotional occasion, as many people present have been involved in this project from the very beginning and are deeply aware of the extreme importance of this release. “The release of this Wild Dog pack into the Tembe Elephant Park is vital to the survival of South Africa’s managed Wild Dog metapopulation,” says the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Kelly Marnewick. “It’s incredible to finally see them stepping into the wild and we are all holding thumbs that they will do well.”

The formal Wild Dog metapopulation programme was initiated in 1998 to expand the species’ range throughout South Africa. Tembe will be the 12th reserve to receive Wild Dogs as part of the programme.

The Wild Dog Metapopulation Programme is coordinated by the Wild Dog Advisory Group (WAG). The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) has held the WAG chair since its inception and has implemented many projects under the WAG umbrella, including projects in the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve and Marekele National Park (both in Limpopo Province), and the Northern Tuli Game Reserve in Botswana. Much of the support for these activities in KZN has come from Land Rover South Africa and the Green Trust, while Wildlife Act, the Wildlands Conservation Trust, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife ( EKZNW), Tembe Tribal Authority, Dr M. Toft and Tembe Elephant Park Lodge have been key partners.

Wild Dogs Lycaon pictus are South Africa’s rarest carnivore and were extirpated from KZN in the 1930s. There are less than 400 Wild Dogs remaining in South Africa, of which approximately 130 are in the Kruger National Park and 160 in northern KZN (approximately 110 of which are in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park).

Reintroduction initiatives for Wild Dogs into KZN began in 1980 and there are currently four reserves in KZN with resident Wild Dogs, namely Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Mkhuze Game Reserve, Thanda Private Game Reserve and Hlambanyathi Game Reserve. In 2006 the EWT started a project to expand the range for Wild Dogs in KZN, in partnership with EKZNW and the Smithsonian Institution. EKZNW has been instrumental in expanding Wild Dog range in the province under this project.

In December 2009 four male Wild Dogs from the then De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust were relocated to Tembe Elephant Park and accommodated in a boma, with the intention of later reintroducing them into the reserve. In February 2010 three females from Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park joined them. The pack produced seven pups while communities in the area were prepared for their release.

The potential for conflict between reintroduced Wild Dogs and neighbouring landowners is high. Wild Dogs may attack livestock, while they are also often confused with domestic dogs, which can do a great deal of livestock damage. As such, WildlifeACT, with support from the Endangered Wildlife Trust and Wildlands Conservation Trust, began to actively engage community stakeholders regarding the project in March 2010. This was the first time that a KwaZulu-Natal tribal authority had been actively engaged in the decision making and preparation process for the reintroduction of Wild Dogs and the result was that the Tembe Tribal Authority, the Tembe Local Board and the local municipality gave their support for the initiative.

African Wild Dogs once occurred throughout sub-Saharan Africa but now occupy only a fraction of that range. Habitat fragmentation and isolation, exacerbated by human persecution, are the main factors contributing to this decline. There are currently about 5 500–6 000 Wild Dogs left in the wild globally and the species is listed as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Only a handful of countries contain viable Wild Dog populations, with the largest populations occurring in northern Botswana, Tanzania and northern Mozambique.

Wild Dogs are particularly challenging to conserve because they range widely and occur at low densities. As such even the largest protected areas are able to support only small populations. The conservation and management of small, fragmented populations has therefore become an unavoidable necessity.

Wildlife Act will be monitoring the Tembe pack, while the EWT will remain involved in its role as coordinator of the KZN Wild Dog Management Group. The group aims to promote the national Wild Dog Range Management Project and establish safe corridors between reserves for natural dispersals of the species.

African elephant is two species

2010-12-22T08:54:00.001+02:00

Genetic researchers may have resolved a long-standing dispute by proving there are two species of African elephant.Savannah and forest elephants have been separated for at least three million years, they say, and are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants are from the extinct woolly mammoth.

The researchers also made what they say are the first sequences of nuclear DNA from the extinct American mastodon.

The study is reported in the journal Public Library of Science Biology.

The debate over whether the African elephant is one or two species has been going on for about a decade.

Weighing in at six or seven tonnes, the much larger elephants found on savannah are about twice as heavy as forest-dwellers.

This, along with other differences in size and shape, has led some researchers to conclude there are two species - the savannah (or bush) elephant, Loxodonta africana, and the forest species, Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis.

The scientists - from the US, UK and Germany - now say they have proved the case.

"The divergence of the two species took place around the time of the divergence of the Asian elephant and woolly mammoths," said Michi Hofreiter, a specialist in ancient DNA at the UK's York University.

"The split between African savannah and forest elephants is almost as old as the split between humans and chimpanzees. This result amazed us all."

The species is listed as Vulnerable but it's possible that if there are two, one would come out in a more serious category”

The researchers compared sequences of DNA from the nuclei of African and Asian elephants, and from woolly mammoths and the American mastodon.

All are members of the Proboscidae order of mammals.

The mastodon became extinct about 10,000 years ago - around the same time that mammoths disappeared from most of their range.

Although mastodon mitochondrial DNA has been sequenced before, the researchers say they were the first to do the analysis on DNA from the cell nucleus - in this case, using material from a tooth.

"Experimentally, we had a major challenge to extract DNA sequences from two fossils - mammoths and mastodons - and line them up with DNA from modern elephants over hundreds of sections of the genome," said Nadin Rohland of Harvard Medical School.

The genetic "distance" between the Asian elephant and the woolly mammoth turned out to be about the same as between the two African elephant species - which, the researchers say, proves the case for two distinct species in Africa now.Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News

EcoTraining Blog: EcoTraining partners win Eco Warrior Award!

2010-12-06T12:29:00.000+02:00

EcoTraining Blog: EcoTraining partners win Eco Warrior Award!: "Camps International Win Eco-Warrior Award On Thursday 25th November 2010 Camps International and more specifically Camp Kenya were awarded..."

EcoTraining partners win Eco Warrior Award!

2010-12-06T12:26:00.000+02:00

Camps International Win Eco-Warrior Award

On Thursday 25th November 2010 Camps International and more specifically Camp Kenya were awarded the Eco-Warrior Award for the Most Sustainable Community Based Tourism Enterprise in East Africa. This is the venue for the EcoTraining Kenya courses in Tsavo

The Eco-Warrior Awards were launched by Ecotourism Kenya in 2005 as part of their drive to broaden industry understanding of responsible tourism and are assessed against four main criteria; outstanding innovation, real achievements, sustainability of the initiative and its replicability. This has to be achieved whilst respecting the environment, local people and cultures, and linking with communities to positively empower economies and promote self-sufficiency and environmental governance.

In the words of Ecotourism Kenya; ‘Camp Kenya partners, employ, buy from and build within community areas. By so doing, they achieve sustainable development by creating alternative business opportunities for the local communities to avoid sole dependence on environmentally damaging activities. Over 80 diverse projects have been developed in partnership with local communities and provide travellers with unique meaningful and influential experiences. CI have launched, supported and developed numerous community based business enterprises including Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, Kaya Muhaka Sacred Forest, Small-scale bio-fuel production in Muhaka and support for Imani Women’s Group.

Camps international started in Kenya and the model has been so successful that it has been replicated in Tanzania, Zanzibar, Borneo, and Cambodia. CI intend to open in Vietnam and Uganda in 2012’.

These burgeoning initiatives amongst many others have become great sources of local employment and revenue and the overall success of this model led Ecotourism Kenya to express that Camp Kenya was the exceptional choice.

Camps International’s Chief Executive and Founder Stuart Rees Jones stated:“Most industry awards end up on a shelf in the head office....this one is being driven around the communities we work with by way of a lap of honour. We work hard to balance our company profits with profits for the planet and this means a great deal for our team and the thousands of local people who benefit from Camp Kenya”.

Ecotourism Kenya is a not-for-profit sector association directly serving more than 300 members and reaching out to hundreds more in Kenya and East Africa. Its wide range of programmes enables it to attract membership beyond the mainstream tourism industry. Since its inception in 1996, the association has been involved in a wide range of activities to promote sustainable tourism. From organizing international conferences and training workshops to developing guidelines, codes of conduct, best practices and a green certification scheme, Ecotourism Kenya has been working hard to broaden industry understanding of responsible tourism. Ecotourism Kenya has had many firsts: it was the first Ecotourism Society in Africa; the first to develop a voluntary eco-certification scheme for hotels/lodges in Africa and the first to publish a Green Directory of producers of green products and services.

EcoTraining Blog: The birth of a giant

2010-11-29T08:35:00.000+02:00

EcoTraining Blog: The birth of a giant: "First 28 day Field Guide course: December 2010 The sheer diversity of wildlife species is high indeed which ranges from large to small ma..."

The birth of a giant

2010-11-29T08:27:00.000+02:00

First 28 day Field Guide course: December 2010

The sheer diversity of wildlife species is high indeed which ranges from large to small mammals, bird life, reptiles and insects. This is not to forget the gasping landscape of large sandstone formations of all shapes and sizes mixed with various igneous intrusions and extrusions such as dolerite dykes, basalt overflows adjacent to which we are finding various kinds of metamorphic rock formations.

To top all of this, the frequency of previous human habitation is astonishing, boasting grinding stones, arrow sharpening stones, beads which are thought to be linked to the Arab trade routes, stone walls indicating old settlements and new ones built by British and local tribes during the late 18 hundred colonial times.

There has been a continuous amount of general game sightings such as countless impala, kudu, high numbers of warthog, klipspringer, common duiker, wildebeest, zebra, large groups of eland (which are now splintering due to rain fall and available water), waterbuck, steenbok and giraffe. On a larger scale, fantastic herds of elephants throughout the reserve as well as in front of camp both during the day and at night.

We were blessed by the birth of an elephant calf less than 300 meters up-river from camp which we stumbled upon during a walk. We headed for a safe viewing position to then watch the young calf standing, shakily and walk around her lying down and resting mother. We left before disturbing the delicate scene.

We have also come across an aggressive cow that happens to be tuskless – while watching her herd for over 20 minutes, she suddenly decided to turn and gave us a pretty serious warning charge. I managed to stop her charge by shouting, but this was only after she had sprinted over 40 m towards the vehicle. A good lesson was learnt by the learners on how quickly things can go wrong in the wilderness and how to handle such emergency situations.

Predators of all sizes have been spotted ranging from a lioness with three, two month old cubs, to a nomadic lioness walking along the marsh edge, a pair of honeybadgers, numerous African wildcat sightings including one mother with her young kitten, black backed jackals, a family group of bat eared foxes with 4 young pups skulking around at night and to top it all, we have found two hyena dens, one close to the camp and another on the eastern side of Mashatu.

Birdlife is wonderful especially with the migrant birds returning. The highlights so far are lanner falcon, gymnogene, brown snake eagle, a female pallid harrier, numerous sightings of a pair of black eagles and fish eagles in and around the camp.

We have come across leopard and cheetah tracks close to the camp, but no sightings yet.

Getting water in the land of Giants

2010-11-24T11:27:00.000+02:00

Sometimes building a camp can be fun and draining on the people involved. Although water is always appreciated in arid landscapes, putting in a filter tank into the dry river bed can be hard work.

The Mashatu camp is now up and running, hosting its first 28 day students. These photos gives you a glimpse of what it took to insure running water at the camp.

SOUTH AFRICAN BIRDS IN TROUBLE

2010-11-03T08:17:00.000+02:00

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species ranks plants and animals according to threat levels and risk of extinction, thus providing an indication of biodiversity loss. This has become a key tool used by scientists and conservationists to determine which species are most urgently in need of conservation attention, both on a regional and global scale, thus guiding the work of governmental conservation departments and environmental NGOs.

In South Africa, a number of birds are listed on the IUCN Red List, with several heading for extinction should some of the threats continue and should the NGOs who are implementing conservation action halt their important work.

The Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus is the most severely threatened crane on the African continent. Recent surveys in Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, countries long thought to be strongholds for the Wattled Crane, show that the global population is only half of what has been reported in recent years. Some of the greatest losses have occurred in South Africa, where a 38% decline between 1980 and 2000 left the national population Critically Endangered. Only about 250 individuals remain in South Africa, mostly concentrated in isolated pockets of the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. Kerryn Morrison of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s African Crane Conservation Programme says, “G enetic diversity studies indicate that this sub-population is genetically different from populations in other regions of Africa, making Wattled Crane conservation urgent in South Africa.” The programme works with local communities to protect the wetland habitat of this species. Through this work both the cranes and the communities benefit, as wetlands provide resources and services to these communities in the form of clean drinking water, reeds for crafts, medicinal plants and fertile land in which to grow crops.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is one of the most signed onto treaties in the world, and deals with the need to sustain the rich diversity of life on Earth. In 2002 the CBD adopted the 2010 Biodiversity Target, an international commitment to reduce biodiversity decline by 2010. However, the Target was never met. The impacts on livelihoods, human health, economies and our way of life will be severe if we do not quickly correct this situation.

SANPARKS Wild Card

2010-11-02T08:52:00.000+02:00

SANPARKS ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE CHANGES TO ITS WILD CARD PROGRAMME

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced the change in the management of the Wild Card from Infinity with immediate effect.

The Wild Card is a programme that provides nature lovers with unlimited access to some of Southern Africa’s premier conservation areas.

According to Glenn Phillips, Managing Executive Tourism Development and Marketing at South African National Parks (SANParks), this move will enable SANParks and all its partners – Big Game Parks of Swaziland, CapeNature, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Msinsi Resorts and Reserves - to ensure more relevant benefits to our loyal Wild Card holders, as well as greater control of the Wild Card Programme itself.

“Over the past year, through comprehensive research and customer feedback, it has become evident that we need to move the Wild Card Programme to more advanced technology that will enable SANParks and its partners to provide relevant benefits to our loyal card holders.

Phillips said, the current Infinity Wild Card will be replaced with the distinctive New Wild Card, as the ‘old’ card will no longer be accepted at Wild Card partner parks and nature reserves, after 31 December 2010.

“It is against this background that we call upon all Wild Card holders to please update their membership details timeously, in order for them to receive the New Wild Card as well as continued access.

Updates must be completed at any one of the Wild Card partner websites, at www.wildcard.co.za or alternatively contact our call centre on 0861 GO WILD (46 9453).

Applications for renewal of expired cards and new purchases may also be processed on-line,

Phillips further explained that the issuing of Infinity Cashback rewards will also cease with immediate effect. Wild Cardholders, who still have Cashback rewards, will be able to redeem their Cashback rewards, using the old Infinity Wild Card, at any of the current Infinity redemption partners. For more information on Infinity redeemable points or Cashback rewards, kindly contact Infinity directly on 0861 23 4002.

SANParks had planned to ensure a seamless transition to the new programme, however the limited access to accurate cardholder records and personal contact details, has necessitated this urgent call to action. SANParks and its Conservation Partners appreciate the support of our most loyal customers.

Partners to the Wild Card programme include SANParks (www.sanparks.org ), Big Game Parks of Swaziland (www.biggameparks.org ), CapeNature (www.capenature.co.za ), Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (www.kznwildlife.com ) and Msinsi Resorts (www.msinsi.co.za ).

Funds for Rhino poaching

2010-10-06T10:29:00.000+02:00

Media and readers are invited to attend a presentation by world renowned elephant specialist, Professor Rudi van Aarde, at an exclusive dinner in White River, Mpumalanga in October.

Organised by EcoTraining Africa in conjunction with Africa Geographic and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the title of his presentation is “Elephants Matter: Megaparks and Metapopulations for a Megaherbivore.

The event will be held at the Barnyard Theatre, Caster Bridge, White River on 6 October 2010, and includes dinner, Leopards Leap wines on each table and Professor Van Aarde’s fascinating insights into elephants. In addition each guest will receive a copy of his book Elephants: Facts & Fables. The event will begin at 19h00 sharp.

A cash bar will be available before and during dinner.Tables for 10 are available at a price of R2500 and individual tickets are available at R300 To book call EcoTraining on 013 752 2532 or email enquiries@ecotraining.co.za

This once-off event is a superb opportunity to hear the thoughts of Professor Van Aarde, and to gain fresh insights into elephant management – there will also be plenty of opportunity to ask questions.

Very strange looking Thompson’s gazelle.

2010-08-30T10:25:00.000+02:00

Very strange - Africa Geographic

Mutation vs fake

Sometimes you have to look at all the facts.These images appear to show a Thompson’s gazelle that has been bred by crossing a gazelle with a goat *or* something.
Fake?

Africa Geographic looked carefully at the images, and there are no signs of any alterations that they could see, and there is nothing to suggest that the image has been played with in any way.

Additionally, Paolo Torchio, who took the photo, is a well known and well respected photographer, so we can only conclude that this is simply a strange mutation *or* some sort.

Sometimes nature does create oddities. Two headed snakes, while very unusual, are occasionally seen, and there are well documented cases of animals with extra legs, heads and eyes and other unusual mutations. They are more common where there are some environmental causes, often caused by humans, such as mercury poisoning. Mr Torchio has had one of those rare moments that every photographer would love, a slice of luck.

Mutations and oddities

The most well know ”oddities’ in the animal world are unusual, *or* lack of, colour displayed by some animals. Often classed as Albinos, this can occur across a wide range of species, though it is often not albinism but leucism.

Leucism (also known as Leukism) is a very unusual condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal *or* bird fail to develop properly. This can result in unusual white patches appearing on the animal, and, more rarely, completely white creatures.

Albinism is a different condition. The easiest way to tell the difference between the two is that in albinism the eyes are usually pink *or* red, and albinism affects the entire animal, not just patches. This occasionaly causes very excited biologists to think they have discovered a new species, when in fact leucism is the cause of the unusual markings they have seen.

Xanthochroism

Birds can show this condition in one of two ways: either there is an excess of yellow in the plumage *or* the yellow replaces another colour (in this instance the red). The condition has been reported in a number of species, including other species of woodpecker (in North America), and in many instances the colour replaced is red.

Photo: Paolo Torchio.

Diminutive Kihansi

2010-08-18T16:49:00.000+02:00

A diminutive Kihansi spray toad newborn rests on the back of an adult female. A species unusual among toads – females give birth to live, fully-formed young, rather than laying eggs that hatch into free-living tadpoles. Reared at the Bronx Zoo, these amphibians—now extinct in the wild—are part of an international program to reintroduce the Kihansi spray toad back into its former habitat in Tanzania

Yahoo! At last

2010-08-13T12:48:00.002+02:00

YAHOO!
A long range drive on Selati paid off with a great deal of mammalian sightings. A great success in its own right. The pinnacle for a bird enthusiast student and myself was the chance sighting of two ground hornbills on an old farmland. We made our approach as surreptitiously as we could but the birds kept moving away from us. A bit of persistence rewarded us with closer views but we still had to make do with a view from at least 30 -40 meters at best and they were constantly moving which meant we had to keep after them. Regular stops for photographs and then we were off again on pursuit. This sighting was an incredible chance to talk about these magnificent birds. The male was shyer than the female and he kept a greater distance than she did. We had to be careful not to split them too much. Manoeuvring around them so that we had a view of each bird in turn without getting in between. We followed them for at least half a km. We had a late breakfast!

Horton Plains slender loris

2010-07-20T12:18:00.002+02:00

This is the first time the Horton Plains slender loris has ever been photographed! The Telegraph.co.uk reports that one of the world’s rarest primates, driven to the brink of extinction by Britain’s taste for tea, has been photographed for the first time. The Horton Plains slender loris has been so elusive for more than 60 years scientists believed the wide-eyed mammal had become extinct. It had only been seen four times since 1937 but was fleetingly spotted in 2002 by researchers who identified it by the reflection of a light shone in its eyes. Experts believe the prime reason for its rarity was due to the loss of its natural forest habitat largely destroyed by the drive to create tea plantations.
http://bit.ly/azhgzo - EcoTraining wants to congratulate the photographer whom will hopefully keep the location a secret!

Leopard rescue

2010-07-14T10:50:00.003+02:00

Tuesday the 23rd March was going to be a relaxed day before the new group’s arrival the next day. We had planned to put a pvc sheet over one of the new tents, and fix up a few things in camp to get it ready.

A call from our neighbours with a problem with the water pump gave us some excitement, and we headed out to help fix the water pump. On our way home we decided to see if the R36 river crossing was crossable, and proved that it was not. Once we had got ourselves out with the help of GVI’s new high-lift jack, we headed back to camp.

As we passed the junction with North-South main and East-West main Jaco spotted a leopard next to the road. I stopped the landrover so we could view the leopard. As she walked off we could see that the left-hand side of her face was extremely swollen.
We contacted the reserve warden, Kobus, and he came out to have a look before making a decision on what action to take. We baked in the sun for two hours while the leopard enjoyed the shade of a tree. Once Kobus arrived the leopard moved off, but we managed to keep track of her next to the road. She again settled down in the shade, leaving us in the sun again.
Kobus managed to get hold of the relevant landowners to get permission to call the local vet, Dr. Pete Rogers, and also to be able to put a collar on the leopard.
When Dr. Rogers arrived we collected him, and returned to the leopard. She was in thickish grass and we were worried that it would not be possible to dart her where she lay. Dr. Rogers took his opportunity and after we had determined how she was lying, he darted her in her shoulder. She took exception to this and after turning to ace us with a grunt, she dashed off into the bush, and out of our view.
Fortunately Kobus found her soon after that, and Jaco helped carry her back closer to the road so that Dr. Rogers could work on her.
She was still in good condition, but once Dr. Rogers had opened her mouth, it became apparent that there was something seriously wrong about her mouth. Two teeth and some other material came out of her mouth, and she was bleeding heavily from the area.
The prognosis is not good, the swelling seems to be due to a tumour, and Dr. Rogers took samples to have checked to see how serious the damage is. After stabilising the leopard Dr. Rogers administered the recovery drug, and after a few minutes she recovered and moved off from the road. Kobus had put a telemetry collar on her while she was asleep, so that we could monitor her progress.
The next morning Kobus provided an impala for her, to see if she could feed, and help her recovery.
There are always questions asked when it comes to taking an active part in assisting animals that are injured or in a bad way. Although we prefer not to interfere with nature, we have to consider that injured animals can often become problem animals as their ability to catch natural prey is reduced. Also within a small reserve such as Karongwe the relaxed individual animals in each population are our most valuable. It has taken us several years to get a female leopard habituated to vehicles in the south of the reserve, and to loose this animal now would set us back to where we were in the reserve five years ago.
We still need to hear from Dr. Rogers, if the sample collected indicates that the tumour is malignant, then we might be forced to put the leopard down before she becomes a danger to people in camps. We hope that she does recover, holding thumbs.

2010-06-18T15:40:00.001+02:00

I would like to thank CNN and BBC for inviting me to be part of their media continuant at the FIFA World Cup. Some Photos of my camera crew. Presenting for Travel shows and other media during the Kick off concert and opening was a great Jol.

Getting the mike just right can be an irritation!

Stripe bellied sand snake

2010-05-05T09:33:00.004+02:00

During the trails guide course at Makuleke Camp in January this year, while studying in my tent, I heard a commotion outside. I went out to have a look and saw a male and female Chinspot Batis mocking a western Stripe bellied snake right next to the tent. All of a sudden the snake caught a Four Toed Elephant Shrew. The snake smothered the Elephant Shrew to death and tried to get it into its mouth, but the Elephant Shrew was to big. The snake took the elephant shrew into the grass where it struggled to eat it, later leaving it and moved on.

Usually Western striped bellied Sand snake prefers to eat lizards which made this a very interesting sight.

Ankia - EcoTraining Student

"Stars and charging Lions"

2010-03-19T13:36:00.005+02:00

As Lyrin De Jager explained her experiences at EcoTraining Selati Camp, during her stay resently. She stood the test of time during her stay and didnt run when the lions tested the new recruits. These are some of the comments as published in Beeld, Die Burger and Volksblad on the 16th of March 2010. We are welcoming a new Field Guide to the industry.

Getting lost on 33000 hectares by Mark Gunn

2010-03-08T10:52:00.002+02:00

Can you imagine the stress that a guest undergoes when the guide turns around and confesses that he is lost. Here we have people who know nothing of the bush and are relying on this one person to get them into and out of the experience. Guests put a lot of faith in this unknown person when they agree to go for a walk. They take it for granted that they are in competent hands. The arts of navigating and orientating are being lost. Fewer people are using these innate skills. They do not enter places where they are needed or have electronic toys that do the job for them. Batteries go flat or water gets into the toy and they are quite literally lost.

This is known as a S.N.A.M. Serious non adjustable mistake if you do not have the basic skills to start with. There are so many ways to sort this out. Rule no 1. Never tell the clients that you are temporarily unsure of your position. Keep asking them where they think they are as an exercise, this will have them involved and make sure that you are keeping a watch on where you are. An added benefit is that if something happens to you they will have a better chance to get you all out of there.

The best way not to get lost is to keep checking your route and position continuously. Look back regularly so that you have an idea of what to look for when returning along the same route. Following your own tracks is another way to return along the route.

You do not have to make a scene of navigating. Watch your shadow as you walk and make 15 degree adjustments per hour. Watch the surrounding terrain. Hills and valleys, when taken into consideration are a great way to formulate a route in or out.

Awe is a common feeling to most people who witness another person using the stars to navigate. There is nothing magical about looking up at the stars and being able to decipher the pictures and thence use them to find the cardinal points. Once you have found North you can determine virtually other direction and then make an educated guess as to where you have to go.

The orientation and navigation course that Ecotraining presents for the one year course gives 33 different ways to orientate yourself. Why so many? Well, you might not be able to see the Southern Cross due to cloud cover in the Southern sky. Just turn around and use another constellation to the North. Orion, Leo, Pegasus, Carina, and Gemini can all be used as a single indicator or in conjunction with others to confirm your readings.
Think about this and practice all your skills on a regular basis. Scaring clients is not part of guiding.

Baboon Spider

2010-03-01T16:27:00.002+02:00

It is widely accepted that the baboon spider female only digs one hole in her life. once she has shed her first skin she looses the "teeth" on her mandibles that enable her to dig a hole. Well, we have just had a new immigrant into the camp. A large female has recently dug a new hole where there was not one before. Is this an exception to the rule or does the rule book need to be rewritten? There are so many things to learn and so little time to learn them in. Our only hope is to do as much as we can to enlarge our knowledge base not only by reading but also by looking and seeing the action that is always going on around us. If anyone has any more info on this subject, I want to know.

Selati Big Dig!

2010-02-09T15:01:00.002+02:00

Selati students slaving away at excavating a dolerite dyke. We wanted to see how far the intrusion spread through the surrounding granite rock.

The lowveld is criss-crossed by dolerite dykes. This is an intrusive igneous rock that pushed into the granite base 150 million years ago.

EcoTraining trainer and assessor publishes new book

2010-01-08T12:17:00.002+02:00

Megan has worked in the wildlife industry since leaving school in 1995. She began her career by completing a degree in Nature Conservation and subsequently her resume has included a diversity of fields within the industry. She has worked as a researcher, writer and assistant producer in wildlife television, as a field guide in the private safari industry and then as a field guide’s trainer and assessor in the Lowveld. She has also travelled to many different wild parts of southern Africa and particularly enjoys the editorial interpretation of her experiences both in writing and photography. Megan has authored / co-authored two wildlife books and is also the founder of a new wildlife events and edu-tainment company called African Resource. Read more on http://www.africanresource.co.za/

Having trained students for several years, it became apparent that there was a need for a book that consolidated the practical aspects of the learning process (including ALL subjects trees, insects, birds etc). There are so many technical books out there which can be daunting for beginner naturalists. They wanted to produce something that focused on the most commonly encountered subjects from an interpretative context (rather than solely identification). It was clear that although the book would be an awesome training tool, it would also be suitable for anyone going to the bush or with an interest in wildlife and the kind of info obtained from the book (facilitated by its special format) would be like taking your own 'ranger' into the bush with you.

2009-12-21T12:37:00.003+02:00

EcoTraining makes the bucket list!

EcoTraining is featured in January issue of Go! Magazine . Jonathan Tillett joined Rob and Jaco on a 28 day Field Guide course at Karongwe. This led to an article in Go! Listing EcoTraining course as one of the Top 12 ideas for 2010.

And in their words guys “Make 2010 a Killer Year”.

2009-12-21T12:00:00.005+02:00

A what? A freak of nature...By Andre Coetzer

During an Ecotraining course at Selati Game reserve in November 2009, we came across a Mopane moth (Gonimbrasia belina) on one of our morning walks. Because Mopane worms (the larvae of the Mopane moth) is so well known, Albie Venter, the guide, and myself proceeded to tell the rest of the group something about the moths. As I was explaining what the differences between male and female antennae are, I suddenly got confused. The specimen we had in our hands, had one feathery antenna... and one smooth one? So we thought it must be a male with a damaged antenna... but it also had eggs attached to it. And then we realised, as if we were hit by lightning, that the specimen we were holding is actually a gynandromorph – a single organism where the one half of the specimen is male and the other half is female. A once in a lifetime find and the dream of many Lepidopterists! In most emperor moths, males have feathery antennae to pick up the pheromones produced by females. The females only have very slight feathering on their antennae. In Mopane moths, there are very few differences between the wings of males and females, but in other species, gynandromorphs can be quite intriguing as part of the wing colouration looks like that of a male, and the rest looks like the female.

So a dull, half-dead moth that could have easily been overlooked, turned into one of the highlights for the year and contributed just a little bit more towards our knowledge of the secretive night flying insects!

Written by Andre Coetzer
www.ecotraining.co.za

'It's a very strange world we live in, Master Jack' by Garth Edwards

2009-12-04T15:26:00.003+02:00

On a return trip to the EcoTraining camp from the gate at Selati, I encountered a small herd of these grey ghosts and took a bearing on their line of march. On entering camp, I rounded up the students that had not seen elephant and we sped off in pursuit. The thermometer was nudging 40 degrees and the elephants, in my opinion, were heading towards a favoured spring. We headed straight there and parked in the shade of a knob thorn to await their arrival. Impatient, I decided to investigate the spring, 100 metres off the road, for signs of their presence.

I sighted a massive bull giraffe resting under another knob thorn and spoke to him, trying to reassure him that I was only passing and meant no harm. He fled, crashing through the bush and taking other young males along in his flight. I continued on to the spring, passing by where he had been standing. A flattened fawn-coloured shape lay in the shade and I began to back off believing that I had stumbled upon a new-born impala. I had, but there was something wrong. This was where that giraffe had been standing. The dusty earth and dead grasses had been churned up and I sensed something out of place and approached. Fresh, scarlet brain-blood had flowed from the baby impala's nostrils to pool thickly in the footprint of a bull giraffe. Lines of gelatinous amniotic fluids streaked the dust and remnants of the foetal sac were still attached to its skin.

A low-voiced grunting caught my attention and I looked up. Females impalas stood, across the spring's drainage line, watching me as I inspected the carcass; one of theirs gone without a chance at life. I returned to the vehicle to bring the students and their cameras. On closer inspection, the mandible of the impala had been smashed, its incisors kicked from their place and hanging loosely. It appeared that the bull had taken umbrage to this presence of innocence and had kicked the new-born to death!

EcoTraining launches one day snake course.

2009-11-23T09:33:00.001+02:00

We are very excited about the one day snake course and the opportunity to work with Mike Perry. This is a great opportunity for anyone that has a love or a fear of snakes. Having the right knowledge can make a world of difference.

These snake courses are presented to the general public, outdoors people, field guides, farmers, snake keepers, doctors, vets, mining companies, developers, etc. In short, anybody that may come in contact with snakes or snakebite, or that has a general interest or passion for snakes, will benefit from these courses.

The courses are FGASA (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa) approved as specialist courses. Those that pass will receive a certificate with the FGASA emblem on it. The Snake ID and Snakebite Treatment course is also registered with the WITS CPD Office and medical doctors that pass the test can claim 5 CPD points (Continued Professional Development).

Mike Perry researched and compiled these courses after a number of people approached him for information and his professional advice on snakebite and the handling of snakes. He have been catching snakes since 1965 and works professionally with venomous snakes as he extract venom for anti-venom production & keeps about 500 snakes for this purpose alone.

The importance of Nature Guides

2009-11-17T11:45:00.004+02:00

More and more overseas visitors to Africa arrive on our shores with an incredible knowledge of our wildlife, thanks to excellent wildlife and environmental TV documentaries being broadcast around the world daily.

Although self-drive safaris to places such as the Kruger National Park still occur, more and more of these sophisticated tourists, including locals, are arriving in private game reserves and exclusive concessions in national parks where they are taken on guided safaris with professional nature guides.

Guides with small groups of tourists under their care are in an enormously powerful position. With their knowledge and experience of the wilderness, they quickly have their guests eating out of their hands. What a respected guide says, goes.

This means that the guide has the potential to educate, inspire and change the lives of his or her guests in no small way. Not only can the guide teach guests about the wilderness around them, but he can also convey vitally important conservation messages which have a greater and deeper meaning in today’s modern world.

This places an enormous emphasis on the fact that our eco-tourism industry needs well-trained guides who understand the vitally important role that they play.

Lex Hes, EcoTraining Owner

Matebele Ants by Garth Edwards of Selati

2009-11-05T12:42:00.001+02:00

The onset of the wet season brings with it the emergence of termites from their winter hibernation. Their emergence brings about an increase in activity from Matabele Ants(Megaponera foetens), as the termite worker class are their favourite food. On a morning drive, under cool, cloudy conditions, we noticed a column of Matabeles strung across the road. "Stop!" shouted the tracker; too late as it turned out, and the student in the driving seat hung his head as the front wheels passed over the marching insects. I climbed out, grim-faced with disappointment and studied the carnage in the tyre tracks. The order of the column had disintegrated as they scattered to avoid the massive tyres and their angry stridulations filled the air. I apologised to the unhearing insects, saying:"Think of us as Elephant," and moved the dead and injured from the tracks, then called the students down from the vehicle to marvel at these female warriors.
I began to describe their life cycles, social structures and hunting techniques when one of the students noticed something out of the ordinary. Three major scouts(adult females) appeared to be attacking an antlion larva in its conical pit-trap. Heads facing down, they dug furiously in the soft sand, searching for the ambusher. Then, another student noticed that there was a Matabele Ant sunken into the hole; up to her neck in quicksand. A very brave antlion larva had succeeded in attacking and subduing one of the powerful, warlike black ants. Now, her sisters were trying to rescue her.

What? Were the sisters trying to effect a rescue? Or were they merely searching for the foreigner in the mix as a possible source of food?(The antlion, attached to their sister, would be vulnerable to attack.) Are we allowed to believe that they were consciously trying to assist their comrade? Are we permitted the anthropomorphic thought, that the three were trying to save the one? It is well known that Matabele Ants returning from a raid, will carry their dead back to their bivouac and assist their wounded on the way home. So why not, in this instance?
Eventually two of the scouts gave up and continued on the trail of their sisters, but one, more persistent than the rest, continued the rescue attempt. She dug furiously, circling her sister as the sand flew from under her feet, trying to save her from the maxillae of the antlion. She failed. Eventually, reluctantly, she moved off, then returned for another attempt, then moved off again, leaving her hapless sister struggling feebly, her waving antennae the only sign of life.
On the return journey to their bivouac they would pass by this way once again. I knew that the bodies of their dead would be collected. Would they, possibly the three, pause in remembrance of their fallen comrade? Or is that pushing it a bit too far . . .?

A True Game Ranger of Africa by Johna Turner

2009-10-27T12:39:00.004+02:00

The inaugural Game Ranging course got off to a flying start when we were exposed to the realities of anti poaching operations. Jack Greef gave us the anti poaching “facts of life” showing us all the poaching equipment and methods currently being used. He then treated us to a 12 hour anti poaching ambush experience. Unprepared and in the clothes we were wearing at the time, we sat silently in ambush position throughout the night with a handful of pap to sustain us.

In the words of Carlos, a student from Portugal; “To have to sit or lie in contact with the veld ground directly for about 10 hours during the night, silently and without movement, was at the same time disturbing and enlightening. It gave me time to reflect and improve myself as a person and as a game ranging student”.
And so began a course that gave us a mixture of field and classroom work.

The course exposed us to the seldom-understood challenges of a game ranger. We undertook erosion control, alien plant removal, broken dam repairs, brush packing of overgrazed areas and bush encroachment remedies. We experienced the need to assess the situation, formulate a plan and then follow it up with physical labour using whatever resources were available – sometimes in temperatures of 40 deg Centigrade.

Ralf complemented the fieldwork by covering the theory and sharing his more than 20 years experience working in the Kruger National Park. The course took place in the Makuleke concession area of the Kruger National Park and the Karongwe Private Game Reserve. We were able to appreciate these parks in a different light. The foundation was set by understanding the geology, landscapes and biodiversity. We then discussed numerous topics such as management plans, recreational operational zoning (ROZ), veld assessments, animal condition, stocking policies, biodiversity concepts, rare species management, fire policies, water management, road design and waste management. The scope was almost endless and we realised that behind the scenes major challenges face the game ranger – the Jack of all trades in the bush. Above all, the need for an integrated approach – the Black Pot Principle – is key to managing the environment.

Conducting patrols is an important game ranging activity we undertook and it produced some exceptional encounters with game. Patrols were conducted both by vehicle and on foot (walking trails). We saw the big five, hippo and cheetah. A consort pair of leopards treated us to an aggressive growling interaction with a third (male) leopard temporarily in a quarantine boma. An elephant in the Makuleke fever tree forests stood face to face with us in our vehicle separated only by a few meters. Buffalo in the Karongwe disease free breeding program came within a few meters of our vehicle.

And we still had time to identify trees and birds and learn about ecology.

To cap it all, the wilderness experience was great – spectacular sunsets, the night sounds, the ambiance around the fire, and both the sounds and silence of the bush.
I enjoyed working with Ralf on this course and Ralf and I would like to thank the students for their enthusiasm and dedication, which made the course a success!

Lions following students by Garth Edwards

2009-10-13T10:13:00.001+02:00

Within the make-up of the Selati lion pride are three juvenile males(real mommy's boys) of approximately two years old. Whenever we approach the lions per vehicle, these three show intense interest in the bait, um tracker, perched tantilisingly on the front of the vehicle. So much so, that we have often had to reproach them with loud shouts of 'voetsak!' It appears that all animals understand the meaning of this word.

We have also had a number of encounters with these lion on foot and they have always made it more than interesting. Anton Walker's(a current 1 year student) first approach to lion, as lead rifle, ended with us walking out of the sighting, closely followed by two adolescent male lions, who sprinted forward every time they lost sight of us. Most disconcerting! Anton learnt to speak 'lion' on that retreat.

Recently, acting on information supplied to us by LEO, I lead an approach on the pride. I invited Jenny from LEO to participate and she jumped at the chance, leaving her students sulking on the vehicle. She fell into line, complete with machete and, at my quizzical look answered: "I never walk in the bush without my panga!" Who am I to argue with a lady holding a panga?
The lion were ensconced in shortish grass, just below a levee, on the northern side of a drainage line. They had made a kill and were still busy on it judging by the steadily increasing numbers of vultures perched in the leadwoods above them.

We made our approach from the south, across a sodic site, giving the lions a complete view of our approach, so as to not spring any surprises on them. One of the adult females took umbrage at our approach and advanced in a growling, snarling rush of warning that loosened the matter in everyone's bowels and rendered my command to 'stand still', obsolete. She stopped thirty metres away and then, to the students' dismay, nonchalantly disappeared behind a Grewia. "Where's she?; Ah shit she creeping up on us!; She's gone, just gone!", were some of the comments that preceded my , "Relax guys." I decided to continue around her position, approximately 50 metres to the west and we completed a 180 degree arc without seeing her or the rest of the pride. Disappointed!

We were taking a break on a termite mound when we spotted the heads of a juvenile and a female. They quickly disappeared, so I decided to walk down to the east of their position, hoping to create a better view. We emerged onto a small sodic site, without a view of the lions and thick brush to our west. I decided then to back out and return to the vehicle, disappointed at not seeing the kill, or any of the other lions. We walked 50 metres, paused and listened, walked 50 metres, paused and listened, walked . . . suddenly, I spotted a furry face protruding from the bushes 15 metres behind the last student. I stopped, pointed and reassured the visibly nervous students: "Relax guys. It's one of the juvenile males. He's just curious. We are going to continue walking out of here. He will probably follow us. If he gets too close, just tell him to back off."
I turned to walk them out and they followed. Suddenly a Flamenco dance sounded behind me as eight students clicked their fingers excitedly. I turned, asking a question with my free hand and they answered as one: "He's following us!"

"Didn't I just state that he would?' I answered and then turned away from their disbelieving faces and we continued our exit. One of our students, Dietlof (nicknamed Wimpy), was famous for languishing at the back of the trail during activities, resisting all entreaties and encouragement to walk up front where he would absorb more. Now, as I turned to ensure that the young male was not too close, I suddenly found that I had to extract my elbow from Wimpy's midriff. Discretion is the better part of valour, they say. He had much ribbing to endure for the rest of the course.

We made it back to the vehicle without incident and lost our tail in the process; he obviously decided that we were not going to run and would therefore be no fun.

Jenny was ecstatic; her students were not!

EcoTraining Australia Completes 1st Course

2009-10-02T12:02:00.008+02:00

The sightings this year have been incredible!!

These dingo pictures are of a pure bred male in his prime, walking a dry river bed hunting Mulga Parrots. We picked up his tracks in the river bed that were amongst huge Camel spoor and had given up the chase when he came trotting out of the sparse arid scrub right in front of us.

The huge snake you see is a 3 1/2 metre Olive Python one of the Apex species in Australia. Harmless to humans this snake spent 40-minutes in camp curling up around rocks and trees before it moved away to hunt rodents and small mammals.

The massive bird in the pictures is Australia's largest bird of prey the Wedge-Tailed Eagle. This is a common (daily) sighting and they specialise in rodents, mammals and reptiles. We have seen these Eagles take feral cats.

The Saltwater crocodile pics are from an area just 20-minutes from camp - the Mary River - that has the largest concentration of crocodiles per square kilometre of anywhere in the world. We have seen up to 6 metre crocs here with students.

The group of students in the Safari truck are from our August 28-day course who have just completed their training.

Cheers Mark

First EcoTraining Kenya Course is underway!!

2009-09-16T11:38:00.005+02:00

EcoTraining courses have started in Tsavo during such a symbolic and dramatically beautiful time!

Tsavo is transitioning from a dry, dusty winter towards the promise of spring. The first signs of vibrant life are emerging from the most extreme drought in decades to offer a spectacle of green Commiphora shoots and Acacia blossoms which finely punctuate the red earth landscape. The dust covered elephants and long necked gerenuks are starting to find parcels of green shoots at the ends of the branches which should carry them through to the relief offered by the coming rains.

Although we’ve previously trained guides in various parts of Kenya including the Masai Mara and Samburu, this is the first stand alone Kenya 28 day programme we’ve offered in the ilk of our popular South African course and I can say with excitement that our mission here is looking very positive. The potential from the change of season is wonderful. New beginnings are exciting and represent hope.

The people attending this first Kenya EcoTraining 28 day course are a vibrant, fun loving bunch from five different countries including Kenya, Holland, Spain, the UK and Australia. The international and personal diversity are part of what makes our EcoTraining courses very worthwhile in terms of an interpersonal growth experience. After a short time, great friendships have formed and the group has molded into a team of motivated and informed wildlife warriors!
Besides training professional guides for the Kenyan tourism industry it is very much in our philosophy to expose international nature lovers to in-depth sensory appreciation of our natural surroundings to further motivate conservation throughout the world.

It is inspiring to see how a group of people from very different cultures, careers and ages all care so much about Mother Nature and how the knowledge and experience we are offering is furthering their focus and efforts towards each person being accountable towards ecological sustainability in our time.The natural biodiversity that we are encountering in Rukinga and Tsavo is impressive. We have been fortunate to see 46 mammal species in the first two weeks including Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, Striped Hyena, Spotted Hyena, Aardwolf, Grevy’s and Plains Zebra, Fringe Eared Oryx, Bat Eared Fox, Lesser Kudu and a Small Spotted Genet (that visits the camp).

On our walks and drives we regularly encounter elephants and buffalo at the waterholes whereas the drier areas offer excellent bird viewing and landscapes, including a pair of Ostrich that are raising a clutch of chicken sized babies on one of the spectacular open plains areas. The Von der Decken Hornbills and D’anauds’ Barbets watch us cheerfully as we eat our meals each day in the open air dining area.

The Tsavo / Rukinga system is currently dry but spectacular, there is a rare dynamic taking place as El Nino may show itself this year which could take the ecosystem from drought to green abundance in the next few weeks and months. It is these rare and dynamic changes that need to be witnessed in our time to allow us to connect with the magnificence of nature. It’s all happening in Tsavo, the rain clouds are starting to build … get here very soon to be a part of this!

Anton Lategan

Elephants and Lions in one sighting! Garth Edwards

2009-09-07T13:54:00.000+02:00

We had seen lions(3 juveniles, 2 cubs) on the morning activity, so i decided to take the afternoon group down south in search of these lions, as this group had by this time, had only one encounter with big game, compared to the other group's 8 varied encounters. We searched the area on foot, desperate for a glimpse of tawny fur; to no avail. We then moved to a dam in the area and scoured it for tracks, again to no avail. I decided on a circular route around the area that we had seen them in, hoping to find tracks exiting this block of thick bush.

As we drove along the southern leg of this block, we encountered a mixed herd of impala and i deemed it opportune to discuss the merits of this species; fortunately. While discussing impala evolutionary success, we heard the shrill scream of an elephant cow and the snapping of branches approximately 200 metres away. We immediately headed in that direction and as we stopped on the northern leg of the block to listen, we heard the low moan of a lioness calling her cubs. Wow, what luck! I decided to proceed to the elephants as i knew the location of the lions. We rounded a bend and had a glimpse of elephant hurriedly crossing the road before us - females and young! I stopped to give them space. They passed to the north and we drove further east to find room to turn around and stopped abruptly, finding our way blocked by a female and 2 calves. I switched off and we sat in silence. The female's temporal glands were dark with stress induced fluids; more flowed as we watched and i whispered for absolute silence. She motioned the youngsters ahead of her, then angled in towards us, her head high, her tail horizontal. Her head came down and she charged. I shouted, asking her to to back off; to relax. She seemed to hear and comply as she veered off and disappeared. We turned around and drove west, over a small rise and directly in amongst the lions! The adult male, two females, three juvenile males and two cubs surrounded the vehicle. Awesome! Mark Pretorius was on the tracker seat; his camera sounded like a machine gun.

Then the elephants returned. They had heard our voices as we discussed the lions and had come to investigate. Ears wide, heads held high, they approached, rumbling their disapproval. The younger lions reacted and some of them half-heartedly began stalking the elephant. I moved the vehicle further west, in an attempt to avoid the pending confrontation, unfortunately disrupting the lions. The lions soon settled on the southern side of the vehicle and we had an amazing visual feast of lions ensconced on tawny grass with elephants as a backdrop. As the elephants walked past the lions on their way to a dam in the area, it also became apparent why they had been so unsettled. Hidden within their midst's was a hairy little new-born!

Birding in Makuleke Kruger a top spot in South Africa

2009-09-07T09:38:00.005+02:00

"Birds this month have been really good with some of the early migrants coming in already. Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and Common Greenshank are the first to arrive with more to follow soon. One of our big specials, Racket-tailed Roller, has been seen so often on this course it has almost become a “trash bird”…… Well not quite, but it is ridiculous how often we have seen it. Grey-headed Parrot has also been seen flying over the camp/Lala Palm area often heading back and forth from the Fever Tree Forest. Three-banded Courser is being heard calling every night but only seen on one occasion. Black-throated Wattle-eye was glimpsed briefly near Makwadzi Pan and Meyers Parrot was also seen there. The highlight for me this course so far was an awesome sighting of a White-breasted Cuckoo-Shrike which did the “full Monty” for us and showed us all sides. The course bird list is well over a hundred birds so far and we still have a week to go." Bruce Lawson

Bruce is a passionate naturalist who has spent the last 15 years guiding in remote wilderness areas in many of Africa’s Big Game Reserves. Bruce is equally at home leading walking safaris as he is leading specialist birding tours. With a soft spot for elephants, Bruce devoted 2 years to leading ‘elephant’ walking safaris in the Caprivi National Park in Namibia, for people who wanted to experience elephants in large numbers, uninhibited by international boundaries.
Bruce is at present a director of FGASA and vice chair person of the FGASA executive committee. He is one of only a handful of qualified SKS (Special Knowledge and Skills) Dangerous Game Guides and a National SKS Birding Guide. Bruce is an Advanced Rifle Handling Instructor Trainer for FGASA and is also a THETA accredited National Assessor.

Bruce is just pure passion in the bush! With a dry sense of humour and a stickler for getting it right, he passes on his enthusiasm, knowledge and years of experience whole-heartedly.

White Rhino vs Lion pride at Selati Game Reserve

2009-09-02T15:41:00.003+02:00

Whilst viewing the Selati lion pride(three adult females, three juvenile males, two 14 month old cubs and three nine month old cubs) and the resident adult male, we were extremely fortunate to experience some extreme interaction between the pride and a female rhino and her calf. We followed the lions from their daytime resting spot to a nearby reservoir in a clearing, overshadowed by an ancient Nyala tree. I was loathe to illuminate the scene with the spotlamp, so we sat in the deepening gloom. While the younger lions were drinking; the females watchful of us; the adult male exhibiting flehmen and one lone female mournfully attempting a roar, the resident female rhino and her ten week old calf stepped into the clearing from a drainage line, making for the water.

The younger lions immediately began to stalk the rhinos, with two of the females providing some guidance, or maybe protection of their broods. The female rhino, whilst watchful, seemed to disregard the threat of the lions and made her way steadily to the tank. Her youngster obviously felt more threatened and continuously made warning rushes at the younger lions. Interestingly, when he rushed one of the lionesses, she rolled onto her back as if showing her belly and inviting him in. Fortunately for him, he backed off. After more agitation from the young rhino, contrasting with the calm of his mother and still reluctant to spoil the scene with white light, we decided to take our leave of the scene.

A few days later, we encountered these two rhino whilst on trail and the female exhibited as calm a demeanor as she had when threatened by the lions. We managed to close to within twenty metres of her and the youngster and were preparing to enjoy a lengthy viewing, when a game capture helicopter screamed by overhead. The female snorted, the youngster jumped and then they both disappeared. I was struck by the vastly different reactions displayed by the female rhino when confronted by three perceived threats.

Garth Edwards - Instructor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjVA076cuL8.

Tracking elephants by Mark Gunn

2009-08-21T11:47:00.003+02:00

Setting out on a walk from the camp in search of the elephants that had been heard at about 5pm. Our depatrure at 6:10 was as result of the low light at this time of the year at that time of the day. We found some tracks and followed them for a while but we lost them and they weren't very fresh anyway. We decided to do a long walk on the off chance of hearing them , we could then move in to view the elephants. a long walk and no elephants later we were very far from camp and breakfast was in a few minutes. We headed down a drainage line to make our way to the nearest road that would take us back to camp. on the way we passed a rocky outcrop as this was a good opportunity to look around. Half way up David, one of the students called us back to investigate elephant dung that was still warm. Warm dung = close animal! Two spotters on the rocks soon whistled and pointed toward the East. All of us climbed up onto the rock and lo and behold there they were just 30m away. The Mopani was too thick for us to follow them directly so we skirted around toward the south but we lost contact and had a long walk back, yet our reward was a hearty breakfast.

Field Guides in Gabon by Anton Lategan

2009-08-18T16:36:00.000+02:00

"A Guide is a leader, a guardian of nature, an interpretor and an honest host to visitors. A guide should represent the highest standards of ethics and care for nature and people in the wilderness and in their own community. Guides are the key to sustainable tourism as they passionately take a stand for conservation through steering the people that suround them in their interactions with nature.

The natural beauty and wonder of Lope National Park is best experienced by being immersed into a sensory voyage of discovery led by a competant guide. The endless forest, savannah, rivers and hills are home to spectacular and often shy species that may not reveal themsleves at first. This wilderness is best viewed with a local guide that has pacience and understanding of the ecosystem. Lope is a challenging environment full of natural guardians including the sun, rain, insects and mega fauna so it is best to take your time and gently move in sync with the natural system.

EcoTraining had the priveledge of training a group of guides between May and June this year between Lope and Mikongo. We covered a proven and logical curriculum giving the local guides a broad understanding of ecology and guiding principles. We prioritise on getting trainees as practically safe and competant as possible and then add well timed theoretical knowldege. We focused the training on the following four principles: Safety, Sensitivity, guest enjoyment and guest education.

I feel that each one of the trainees could grow by becoming self sufficient. Each guide should take charge of their future by practising their English language skills, by studying all available books, reading magazines and using the internet to ensure they are well equiped to host their guests and promote tourism and conservation of Lope National Park and Gabon.

When travelling into and out of the Lope area I realised that many of the animal and plant species are under threat by mans comsumptive ways. I believe that these Guides can play a role by being guardians and hosts for this special place." Anton

The Game Ranger Experience

2009-08-14T12:42:00.002+02:00

The Game Ranger Experience is for those people who want to learn some of the principles of managing wildlife areas for conservation and preservation of the ecosystems. Game Rangers are the custodians of our wildlife areas and are responsible for ensuring that our game and nature reserves are managed in a sustainable manner. For people to understand what a game ranger does, it is very important to understand Ecosystem management which includes grasses; plants; animals; weather; geology; roads; fences; water and fire. Game Capture is only a small part of a game ranger’s duty as here he will generally form part of a large team of game capture specialists and veterinary specialists doing a capture as and when needed whilst taking place at the last minute yet generally in winter months, the supposed “glamorous” side of being a game ranger. Anti-poaching on the other hand is the not so “glamorous” side to any game rangers’ duty and is generally an on-going daily saga, with much frustration, passion and determination.

It is with good reason that Lex and Anton the Directors of EcoTraining decided to join forces with Ralf Kalwa to conduct and instruct our Game Ranger Course. With reference to Ralf’s experience and expertise below, you have no doubt your Instructor on this course will deliver information and a great understanding to the contents of this course. With total passion and enthusiasm for a Game Ranger’s life!

Tasks include:
Observation, census and animal condition forms which contribute to the collection of data which can be passed on to the game reserve’s management for their own use and the learners get to contribute to the authentic operations.
Patrol drives to do game distribution; sex ratios; age classes; game numbers and condition.
Learners do waterhole count and sleep outs.
A full day and night (with his team) with Anti-poaching specialist Jack Greef at Makuleke – Highlight!
There may be game capture activity if one becomes available during the course, not guaranteed.
Visiting buffalo breeding programme
Practical work would include alien and invasive plant control and waste cleanup.Final presentation done by all students as individuals – last day.

Check our website for details...www.ecotraining.co.za/Courses/Game-Ranger

Megan Emmet in Kenya for EcoTraining

2009-08-12T14:49:00.002+02:00

Megan Emmet a freelance assessor for EcoTraining has just come back from an assessment of guides all across the Maasai Mara.

In summary, EcoTraining is working together with Base Camp Foundation Kenya and the Koiyaki Guides School to develop and improve the training courses at KGS in order to improve the standard of guiding in the Maasai Mara area.

The start of this process was an assessment of KGS graduates who are now actively guiding at various safari camps in the Mara which Megan conducted during most of July. The programme will continue over a period of time with EcoTraining assisting in training guides at the Koiyaki guide school.

We hope to bring you further news on this in the months to come

EcoTraining Australia - Anton at Swim creek

2009-08-07T10:40:00.003+02:00

I just spent the morning on an airboat on the floodplain between masses of birds, crocs, buff and flowers ... we pretty much have access to our own Aussie Okavango 1km from our EcoTraining Australia camp!

Constellation madness this Month at Selati

2009-07-29T11:28:00.003+02:00

Winter is upon us and the skies are clear. cloud cover is minimal and the stars are bright. A whole set of new constelations are up due to our rotation around the sun. Scorpius and its attendant Messier objects are out in full glory. The southern cross is still up in the early evening. Bootes, Leo and Cygnus are at their best at this timme of the year. By the end of the course we have done at least 40 constellations with the group. Not all of them will have seen all of the constellations as we do quite a few on the sleep out and most of the students are asleep in the middle of the night. we wake up throughout the night and do some constellations with those that are on duty. the really interested students will book a shake for these sessions and will get the most out of the trip. Having the telescope set up with the best possible view from the camp gives the students a great oportunity to see celestial objects like globular and open clusters as they would not normaly be able to. most people do not even know of these objects when they get here. Seeing them with greater magnification enhances the experience. the down side to winter is the cold. We all end up looking like Michelin men.

Garth Edwards, Selati Instructor

Experience the life of a Field Guide

2009-07-13T13:18:00.002+02:00

A participant, Richard White, commented “EcoQuest has taken my bush experience and appreciation to a new level”. EcoQuest is a unique learning experience and this was an eventful course.

After going through lectures on trees and birds the participants identified, at Makuleke 80 trees and 61 birds, while at Karongwe 40 trees and 55 birds. A total of 33 mammals were seen including African Civet, Porcupine, Spotted Hyena, a sounder of 6 Bush pig and the Big 5 excluding leopard. The observations during the activities and numerous encounters and sightings with large and small animals, supported by theory, allowed the group to discuss many aspects of ecology.

Sightings were made of lion, buffalo (many), elephant (many), hippo, white rhino, crocodile, and hyena. The discipline of encountering potentially dangerous game on foot was experienced with on foot encounters with buffalo, elephant, and hippo out of the water.

The wilderness is always full of special experiences and we had our share. Our elephant encounter on foot illustrated just how quiet these giants can be. A white backed night heron was a “lifer” for all including myself. Examining the internal “honeycomb” of a fungus growing termite mound showed some of the complexity of these insects.

Conservation became a well debated subject after the alarm calls of vervet monkeys lead us to a bushbuck ram which had just been caught in a poachers wire snare around its neck. The noose had tightened and we estimated the struggling bushbuck would not have survived much longer when Jaco released it.

“An interesting, interactive, intensive course on the interaction of wildlife and the environment” were the comments by Kay Fitchet.

Thanks to all for an enjoyable EcoQuest course.
Johna Turner

Walking Trails with Field Guide Specialist

2009-07-03T10:19:00.005+02:00

Join EcoTraining's Educational walking trails at our Selati Camp with field guide specialist Johna Turner, for 7 days of intimate bush learning. Rivalling the Kruger Park and Umfolozi walking trails in terms of a specialist guide that will share his experience and knowledge with you daily on morning and evening activities. Specialising in birds, trees and mammals, Johna will open up a world of new meaning to a bush experience.

Grab a group of friends, collegues or social club members and come see what we have to offfer. With excellent value for money, with a rate that includes your specialist guide; tented accommodation; all meals; tea/coffee cordials and a great bush experience. Fitness level required is mild walking, so ages 18 -75 are more than welcome! For price or payment options, contact enquiries@ecotraining.co.za. Payment by Visa and Mastercard welcome.

The most affordable educational holiday you will ever experience...

Selati Camp

2009-06-29T10:38:00.005+02:00

Selati Tent ~ Selati Main Area ~ Communal Bathrooms. Check our web in top tab "Our Camps"

Update from Selati by Mark Gunn

2009-06-26T13:16:00.002+02:00

There has been plenty of elephant activity around the camp as they are after the raisin bush fruit.The hyaenas have been serinading us at night. we still have not found their den, despite us doing a lot of walking in the north. A leopard male is also calling on some nights quite near the camp. we have had one walk right through the camp, we were all asleep so did not see it, we saw the tracks in the morning.

Come expereince the sounds of the African Bush, whether the crunching of an Elephant eating or the night calls of the scavengers. Learn how to identify sounds and their meanings in our 28 day Field Guide Course. See our website for comprehensive details. EcoTraining, the training specialists since 1993.

Winners of the Mammal Behaviour Competition

2009-06-19T14:18:00.008+02:00

Congratulations goes to...

Jean Graham for her Zebra fighting sequence - 1st Prize of 10% off our Mammal behaviour course with Specialist Dr. Richard Estes

Nicolas Hulme for his Lion cub play sequence - 2nd Prize of 5% off our Wildlife Photography Course with Specialist Lex Hes

Karin Frommel for her Cheetah youngster photograph - 3rd Prize a signed copy of Dr. Richard Estes - The Safari Companion Book

Well done and we would like to thank all our participants!

Mammal Behaviour Competition cont...

2009-06-12T09:59:00.001+02:00

Dear Paola,

I see a stack of rock hyraxes in a cleft of a kokpje. Hyraxes huddle together at night to share body heat, as they have very poor thermoregulation.

They also seek shade in the hottest hours as they are vulnerable to overheating if exposed to strong sunlight.

It looks like these dassies are seeking a cool spot, but it could also be early morning and they're waiting for the sun to hit the kopje so they can warm up after a cold night.

Best wishes, Dr. Richard Estes

Photography Course with Lex Hes

2009-06-08T08:44:00.004+02:00

EcoTraining has just completed our Wildlife Photography Course with instructor Lex Hes.

Hello Nicole, Jens, Ursula, Ian, Richard, Jane and Zolani,

I hope you are all well and that your various weekends are relaxing and enjoyable. It was great sharing a small bit of the Timbavati and its animals with you and especially good to be teaching such an enthusiastic group. I hope that you have all come away from the trip with some good photographic memories and especially with inspiration and knowledge to go out there and do better photography.

There are so many things to think about when taking a photograph, but if there is only one thing that I would like you all to be aware of, it is SHARPNESS. Keep those cameras steady and in focus!

It was a real pleasure being with you and I hope that one day we'll be able to do it all again!

Cheers for now, Lex

2009-05-27T14:10:00.005+02:00

Dear Jean Graham,

Typical fighting behaviour between two stallions. This usually happens when a younger stallion attempts to abduct a young female (usually the dominant stallion's daughter) from the dominant stallion's herd. During the fight, one of the things they try and do is bite each other on the front legs. In the first picture, the stallions are both down on their knees in an attempt to prevent being bitten on the legs.

The other pics show various stages of fighting, with head displays showing teeth prior to biting attempts (4th pic), biting at neck and legs (2nd pic) and possibly the end of the fight, or maybe some movement prior to kicking with the hind legs (3rd pic).
The first pic in particular is a wonderful illustration of what happens when two stallions fight! Good photographs. :)

Good Luck! Lex Hes

Mammal Behaviour Competition

2009-05-20T10:50:00.003+02:00

Hi there at EcoTraining,
Exceptional, unusual, rarely seen mammal behaviour?? Well, I was quite speechless!!!!

In 2007 we travelled around in Kenya and Tanzania and of course we visited the Ngorongoro Crater. While waiting for our guide buying the entrance tickets at the gate of the reserve, we strolled around at the parking area. There were some baboons sitting at the side of the road so I had my camera ready. Then I saw this fellow? sitting in a not so animal-like position, chewing on something. Then he suddenly pulled out a long thread of chewing gum, and I clicked the camera. Okay, not a sharp picture, but then, I was so amazed! He put the gum back in his mouth and left.
It is surely technically not my best picture made on safari, but every time I see it, it still amazes me.

And in a way makes me sad, this baboon has been to much close to humans, and is now copying our behaviour. I don’t know if we should be happy with that, after all this was really a wild animal, living free in his own environment. He should eat a banana and not our thrown-away stuff!! Thank god, he didn’t blow a bubble!

Wonder what dr. Estes thinks about this amazing Tanzanian baboon.
Best regards from Wendy Verhagen ( the Netherlands), who will stay at Ecotraining’s Karongwe Camp from 16th September to 13th October for the Field Guide Course, Level 1.
See you then!! Wendy Verhagen (Netherlands)

Dear Wendy,
I know the spot and have seen the same troop of baboons. Your picture of the young male stretching a piece of chewing gum is unusual and amusing. I doubt he was actually chewing it, "aping" human behavior, however. More likely, he picked up a discarded piece, or possibly some joker gave him a new piece. In any case, baboons are clever enough to exploit any easy source of food, and it is only surprising that this troop hasn't become aggressive enough to take bananas and any other food from visitors. Tourists are to blame for making baboons a nuisance by feeding them in the first place. In addition, garbage discarded at campsites and park entrances like this one are bound to attract baboons and other scavengers.
Cordial regards,Richard Estes

Encounters large and small at Selati

2009-03-23T10:36:00.004+02:00

Selati had a wonderful February and March month with encounters from the small to the large...

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH!

" It is not often that we get to encounter leopard on foot at Selati, yet this was exceptional and the students were walking on air all day after this sighting!" Mark Gunn - Head Instructor Selati
The bush is alive with little things at the moment and camp is a paradise for entomology. We have seen the Matebele ants (travelling trains) moving their Bivouac through the camp with some hassles. A solifuge spider was attcking the train and eateing a few small meals one after the other. Another predator we had the priveledge to see was a pirate fly stealing the larvae from the ants and suceeding.

Birding societies would have loved to see our array of migrant birds this month, bringing the toal to 132 bird species in just four weeks.

A few trips to the southern part of the reserve in search of lions, a 'hike" to the neraby hills for the best view and an excersion to the old open cast mine for a few Geology lessons.

Heavy rain brought our DRY river bed down in flood to a level of 2m deep which is always facinating a one of those special priviledges not often seen by people.

EcoTraining joins Flickr

2009-03-02T12:06:00.002+02:00

EcoTraining has joined Flickr.com to share photos of our courses. Check out our new photos taken by Rob Francis our head instructor - an awesome 28 days of excellent game sightings!

Sabi Sands can be envious, Entabeni would love this and you could try this in Kruger national park...

Experience the thrill of BEING a field guide; a safari guru or a game ranger, whether you are avoiding the economic crisis, taking a spring break, heading for a gap year or just finding yourself.

We aim at Training, Education and Development of all persons on our courses.

Subscribe to our web newsletter for news or download our exciting experiences in camp reports!

EcoTraining the pioneer and leader in field guide and nature training!

Rhino encounter on Trails course

2009-02-23T09:36:00.000+02:00

The snap of fingers brought us all to a dead stop. Ahead of us and to our right walking away approximately 100m was a very large White Rhino with a large calf in tow. The two animals were quite content in their direction not having a clue we were in the area. This was until of course they looked up and saw the Land Rover parked in their path. This caused a bit of consternation as the mother turned and trotted off tail curled up over her rump.
“Trotted off” was probably not the correct term to use as it was very short lived? She turned again heading, still away, but now at a right angle to our position. Another quick turn and she was heading straight towards us from about 50m. Again she turned aiming in a different direction only to pivot and come straight our way once again.
Paul Viljoen (Trail Leader & student) was out front and in the open, with Jeff (ET back-up) sticking to him like glue. I shouted for everybody to get behind the little cover there was in the form of a small Silver Cluster Leaf bush but the female was on us before anybody could move. As it so happened with the way she had turned I was now in the front facing her first as she raced down onto us. In one motion I was shouting, chambering a round and taking aim on her mighty forehead. (Hard not to aim at the forehead when your whole field of view is her head)

View the rest in our Camp Reports section on our website in News!

Welcome to our new blog!

2008-11-04T09:33:00.000+02:00

We hope you will contribute to building a blog of sensory-filled and fresh information about life at EcoTraining’s camp on course!

Rhino Encounter at Karongwe

2008-11-03T12:55:00.000+02:00

Our student group was walking across the river from camp and found a Rhino with a newly born calf (estimated 3 days old).
Later when the group walked in the area they tracked the rhino and found the tell-tale scuff marks of a fight or struggle. They tracked the rhino and later heard an animal’s alarm call ahead. They approached and saw something (possibly leopard or hyena) moving off. They moved forward to find a Rhino closeby behind a termite mound and then a student spotted the rhino calf lying flat in the grass meters from where they stood.
Rob immediately moved the group away from danger but was concerned as the calf appeared to be dead or dying. One of the students said they had seen it blink so Rob called the Warden. He arrived sometime later to find a very weak and injured rhino calf in the grass. Its ears were torn off at the base and it had already begun to smell badly. They loaded it onto the vehicle and took it to a nearby rehabilitation centre. The calf started to drink and is now able to walk again.
It is hope that it'll be released back into the Buffalo camp in the Karongwe reserve until it is old enough to fend for itself. To date, all is going well.
From Rob - Head Trainer

WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS: Karongwe Camp

2008-11-03T12:52:00.001+02:00

We had the lions through camp earlier on in the week, chasing bush pigs through the camp at least twice. The guys on the deck had a great sighting. Lions also stole three lanterns and our axe, which we eventually found 150 meters from camp, with bite marks and mane hair attached. Also good leopard sightings, cub and two leopards on different drives.
Apart from that rhino on foot and in the vehicle, lots more lion sightings in the vehicle, and great hyena viewing at the den. Had a relaxed porcupine 1.5 meters from me one night during the leave period, got great photos as well.
From Rob, Karongwe Trainer