Tranquility

The bush is a place to find peace and solace.  The feeling of immersion in a pristine wilderness area is something that only a few of us are lucky enough to experience.  It is a place where the complications of our world disappear.  The sounds of never-ending traffic, police sirens and the constant hum of electricity are nowhere to be seen, and instead they are replaced by a myriad of tuneful birdcalls, an underlying cacophony of insect life, the whoop of a distant hyaena or the crack of a branch as a gentle leviathan feeds. 

The holistic effect of the bush is often overlooked.  People come to the wilderness to tick off their marquis animals and get their certificate of seeing the Big 5, but many will miss the true meaning of being lost in one of the world’s most pristine wildernesses.  It is a place to find ourselves, to revisit the primitive nature of our ancestors and experience what life used to be like before the advent of technology.  Undoubtedly our advances as a species have opened up doors to new places and allowed us to enjoy a more stress free life…or have they?  Yes, television and a comfy sofa sound like a great way to relax, but I can assure you all that it is no substitute for sitting next to a serene waterhole, watching the setting Sun‘s rays dance across the water.  The colours that seep through the skeletal winter trees cannot be put in words and I struggle to believe that even Dulux could recreate some of them. 

Our current crop of budding new field guides was privy to experience such an evening last night.  After a gentle walk from the camp, stopping to discuss an old hyena den and tasting the moisture-rich roots of the aptly named ‘Mother-in-Law’s Tongue’ we stumbled across an oasis.  Stretching out before us was a small body of water with no road access and thus protected from our own destructive influences.  The golden light of an African evening filtered through the clouds, giving the whole scene a magical hue: the trees seemed to radiate the light and shine it back at us like something out of a fairy tale.  Learning about the fascinating organisms that inhabit this area is one thing, but there is no substitute for just sitting quietly and contemplating life in such an idyllic place.

The students found their own quiet corner to just sit.  We spend our whole life rushing from one thing to another, governed by time and the need to attribute meaning to everything.  We have forgotten how to truly relax and find ourselves.  This was the perfect opportunity and we all relished in the chance to be wrapped up in our thoughts about why we chose to come to such a place, just appreciating the beauty and wonder of nature in her purest form.  We sipped drinks in the warm evening air and listened to the wind rustle the leaves and last of the birds say their farewell to another perfect day in Africa.  The only movement came from little pond-skaters skimming across the glassy surface of the water and the occasional bumbles rising from its depths as the unseen aquatic world went around its business.  It was a perfect moment where time was irrelevant.

This is what the bush is all about, and the reason that so many of us come to the bush.  We are all looking for something.  Some find it in a bustling city full of social interaction and technological advances.  Others, like myself, and many of the students who pass through EcoTraining’s welcoming doors need only experience this solitude once and become addicted to this purity.  The ‘real’ world can be fun, but only in small doses.  The bush gets under your skin and for some, it will change their life, and their outlook on it, forever.

Blog post and photos by Ben Coley

Putting the students to the test!

The current crop of students recently completed their first practical observation test.  70 questions, most centering on identifying phenomena encountered in the bush, would prove a stern examination as to whether the previous 3 week’s information had sunk in.  The morning of the test was like any other but there was an air of unease within the camp.  Students were dotted around the camp, coffee in one hand, book in the other as they used these last vital moments to try to cement their new-found knowledge.  Wide eyes and furrowed brows seemed to be the order of the day.

For the next 6 hours, the students dredged their memory banks as Gerhard and I set them a number of questions related to what we found in the bush.  From tracks to trees, dung to bird calls, the students were subjected to all manner of questions.  Some rounds were tough, some were easier but all our budding guides performed admirably, and many surprised us with the level of detail that they had retained.  The practical observation test is a great way for the students to see how much they have learned but it is also when we find out whether our teaching has been successful!  The pressure is on for us all!  But I am very happy to report that everyone breached the 75% pass mark with many scores being in the 90’s!

This is the first of many practical tests that the students will experience during their quest for an EcoTraining qualification.  In the coming weeks they will have to tackle bird call and slide identification, snake slide ID, frog calls and a second, more challenging practical observation, not to mention a handful of written theory exams.  All of these skills will hopefully set them up well for their final test, the practical assessment, which awaits them in just 3 weeks’ time!

After 8 years guiding in the lodge industry, I have seen all manner of guides ply their trade in the bush.  Some have been good and some, not so.  For the guests that come on safari this may be their one and only chance to experience the majesty of this land, and it is a guide’s obligation to ensure that they have a life-altering journey.  EcoTraining is in the unique position to send out the next generation of field guides with the knowledge that we believe is essential to give a guest the best possible experience.  Make no mistake:  this course is tough, but the rewards one can reap from understanding the complexities and intricacies of the bush are priceless

Blog and photos by Ben Coley

EcoTraining Selati - Sable Breeding Camp Trip

The students at Selati were given the opportunity to visit the sable breeding farm in the far north of the reserve.  The diversity of the course offered by EcoTraining is such that students are exposed to not only fascinating facts about the bush, but also how conservation management fits into the equation.  Sable are one of the rarest antelope to be found in southern Africa and their value is such that entire reserves are able to exist through their sales and breeding.  Selati is one of those areas and the 33,000 hectares are fully funded, not by commercial lodges, but exclusively through the funds generated by Sable breeding project.

We were met by the farm manager Hannes, a former guide who started with almost no knowledge about breeding Sable, but after 7 years of hard work is now one of the pioneers into Sable breeding and is the man responsible for generating the funds that allow Selati to prosper.  Hannes’ enthusiasm and love of sable is evident and he gave the students a detailed lesson in how they are bred and generate the income through the programme, as well as insightful information about the behaviour of this stunning animal.  The students were fascinated by the process and Hannes was subjected to a barrage of questions about the various processes!

After a couple of hours, we stopped for a packed breakfast in the bush before heading back to camp.  On the way, we stopped off at the largest baobab tree on the Selati reserve and received a quick lesson on this magnificent tree.  Although not as big as some specimens, for many it was their first time to see the fabled behemoth and all delighted in the experience.  The road back to camp was peppered with elephant damage and much energy was expended as the students discovered the delights of working in an area that comes complete with its own set of landscape gardeners!  Quite why the elephants seem to revel in felling trees across roads was beyond us, but we all enjoyed a bit of physical labour after to get the blood pumping!

ECOTRAINING: PASSIONATE ABOUT CONSERVATION

From humble beginnings way back in 1993, when a handful of passionate individuals saw the opportunity to provide the tourism industry with qualified nature-guides, to the leader in this field today.

This is the story of EcoTraining.

For the past 20 years, thousands of people with a deep love for nature, an appreciation of all things wild and wonderful and a passion for conservation, have attended our courses in wilderness camps across Africa.  And armed with this knowledge, they have gone on to make a difference and spread the message of reconnecting with nature in a meaningful way.

Michael Clark, who trained with EcoTraining more than 10 years ago, is currently in Nepal, training up young Nepali naturalists. 

Says Michael:

“The variety of subjects is incredibly diverse and comprehensive, and the practical element provides you with experiences that are hard to put into words. Anyone who is serious about a career in eco-tourism or simply wants a sabbatical from work, the experiences you can have on a course can lead to a whole new way of life, and provide you with memories to truly cherish.”

Like Marc Lindsay Rea, who says he’s now living the dream, thanks in part to EcoTraining who has put him in a very privilege position indeed, as a fully qualified field guide leading people into the wilderness and onto memory-making adventures.

“I have such a thirst for acquiring knowledge about wildlife and nature from around the world and I am lucky to have the privilege to guide guests through these exciting places. I thank and appreciate everybody and every company that has put in many long hours to help get me to the position I am at now. Thank you!”

Yes, we are essentially a field guide training company, training guides for the industry. But with shorter courses and excursions on birding, tracking, photography and bush survival, and from anything between four and 28 days, we are also catering to the tourist with a conscience.

Today’s tourist is a thinking traveler who wants to have fun while gaining a better understanding of the natural world. And this is where a company like EcoTraining is stepping in and creating an experience with a difference.

Like Richard Schmid from Switzerland who was born in Mombasa and spent the first seven years of his life in Kenya. He went back to the country of his birth to take part in a 28 Day Field Guide course in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

For Richard there’s no other way to travel.

“I travel like this all the time, to go out and actually do something, on a course like this to be directly and actively involved in something. I now know so much more, my base of knowledge has broadened considerably and I’m not regretting it for one moment. We have an ecological responsibility and I think people are becoming more and more aware of it all the time.”

Through the years the EcoTraining qualification have become the trusted nature-guide training standard in the industry, giving people from all walks of life and from all over the globe the opportunity to become one with nature. We have trained all across the African continent and also in many other parts of the world.

And our wilderness camps in South Africa (Makuleke, Selati, Karongwe), Botswana (Mashatu) and Kenya (Lewa), is where it is all happening. It’s in these simple unfenced bush camps in the middle of these great wilderness areas participants truly get to experience what it is like to live in wild places. Under the guidance of experienced instructors, countless hours are spend walking or driving in the bush, and an understanding of our place in the natural world is cultivated.

Africa indeed just has its way with people. The continent’s wild and wonderful places lure people from all over the globe, to come and explore and then to return wherever they are from with vivid memories to last a life time.

You will get all this, and so much more, on an EcoTraining course.

But don’t just take our word for it. From the horse’s mouth, or in this case, Nick Baker, a former professional field guide course participant:

“The beauty of this course is the extended time one spends out there, nothing is rushed and every day one learns something new, building a quite awesome knowledge base… I miss it today and will miss it every day that I am not there. The experience is total and is built of a complicated set of components, animals, birds, trees, plants, insects, soil, water, weather, stars, sights, sounds, smells, magic…  The bush does funny things to your head. It has got inside mine…”

Candice Wagener McGuire echoes these sentiments:

“I guide because I like sharing my passion with those around me, I love seeing how the bush inspires every single being. My day is made when I see how people brighten up when they spend their holiday in the bush, how the smallest things put a smile on their faces. When I guide, I feel like I’m making a small difference to keep Africa alive in everyone’s hearts.”

PROFESSIONAL FIELD GUIDE COURSE: Testimony that you’ll have the time of your life!

The time is NOW to make that jump into an adventure of epic proportions. EcoTraining’s professional field guide course will change your life and put you on a path sure to be more exciting than you can ever imagine.

The next one is about to start, in September, and for a limited period of time being offered at a special rate. Email enquiries@ecotraining.co.za and make sure that you are among the lucky ones!

Like Marc Lindsay Rea, who says he’s now living the dream, thanks in part to EcoTraining who has put him in a very privilege position indeed.

Here is his story, enjoy, and be prepared to book your place afterwards…

“When I was 11 my father went on a business trip to Phinda Private game reserve and returned home with a brochure of CC Africa. I was amazed by the images… From that day on I knew I wanted to work in the bush and become a ranger. 

So it was a natural choice for me to do a game ranging and lodge management diploma after school, which I passed with an overall distinction. During my diploma course I did two EcoTraining courses, at Selati and Makuleke. This was the first time I had actually spent a solid amount of time in the bush doing training. It was brilliant.

After my course and practical experiences at EcoTraining, I approached AndBeyond and passed their selection phase and relevant training and was offered a job at Madikwe Safari Lodge. Since starting my guiding career in early in 2006, I steadily climbed the ranks becoming a senior ranger, mentor, assistant head ranger and was then appointed as head ranger in October 2008.

For most of 2011 I spent my time working in Namibia at Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. I also spent time working in Botswana at Nxabega and Sandibe lodge in the Okavango delta for AndBeyond.

In 2012 whilst working as a ranger and a specialist guide at Phinda Game Reserve I was nominated by my peers to compete in the Safari Guide of the year 2012. I made it into the top eight rangers in the country and in the finals I won two out of the six categories we were all being assessed on.

I have completed my FGASA Level 3 and have also got my Level 2 trackers qualification. In addition I’ve got a full trails guide walking qualification with hundreds of hours of walking experience and dangerous game encounters on foot. This is one of my favourite ways of experiencing the bush and encourage all my guests to come tracking big game on foot with me.

After the competition Africa Direct noticed me and my skills in the bush and offered me a position to become a private, specialist guide in their company. I now get to travel all over Africa with my guests and am at the pinnacle of my guiding career.

I thank and appreciate everybody and every company that has put in many long hours to help get me to the position I am at now. Thank you!

In addition to the bush I have a massive passion for wildlife photography. I have been placed first and third in two international competitions: Africa Geographic / Canon Field Guides Competition and Wildside Nikon All Africa Competition respectively.

I have travelled to a large number of countries around the globe but nothing compares to the excitement of travelling Africa. I am very serious birder and am called a twitcher by many of my friends. Because of my love for birding I have explored the remotest parts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia looking for all the special rarities.

In 2009 I founded a small non-profit organisation with the help of my work colleagues and some guests to support the Matetsi Community along the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. We helped 150 people for 3 years supplying them with vegetable seeds, clothing, toiletries and fishing equipment to try make living a little easier over that difficult time in the country.

I have such a thirst for acquiring knowledge about wildlife and nature from around the world and I am lucky to have the privilege to guide guests through these exciting places.”

(Thanks for sharing Marc!) 

TAKING HANDS – CONSERVATION EDUCATION ACROSS THE GLOBE

A model for the Middle East. With some help from Africa. Taking conservation education across borders, a handful of different role players are adhering to the notion that in nature all is connected in some way, shape or form.

For the last three years EcoTraining, a leader in field guide training for 20 years in Africa, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature in Jordan and Tetra Tech, a consultancy firm, have been working together to transform the conservation and guiding sectors in Jordan.

An opportunity like this, for conservation bodies and training facilities across the globe to strike up partnerships, recently resulted in the graduation of four young Jordanians after they successfully completed a yearlong professional field guide course at EcoTraining’s wilderness camps across South Africa.

From an extensive internet and social media campaign that attracted hundreds of applicants, Abdullah Abu’Ramman, Osama Alsomadi, Osama Alrabay’ah and Nadia Alalul were in the end the fortunate ones. With the knowledge acquired during the last year, armed with and fully certified under EcoTraining and South Africa’s guide qualification system (FGASA), these four are now task to go back to Jordan where they will practice as guides and trainers in their own right. In the process they will not only be transforming the guiding experience in Jordan, but also serve as the foundation for the next generation of highly qualified Jordanian nature guides.

(From left) Tall Osama, Short Osama, Abdullah, Nadia

The next phases of the program will involve the setting up of a training academy. This academy, currently being built in Aljoun about 80km outside of the Jordanian capital, will serve the urgent and vital need for building capacity in the whole of the Middle East to protect and manage its environmental resources in the face of ever increasing development pressure. Here expertise and skills would be developed at vocational level and a resource base for the region would be established.

Upon their graduation, Chris Johnson, the program director for new projects for RSCN and mentor to the foursome, said they feel strongly that nature be one of the drivers of economic opportunities not only in Jordan, but the whole of the Middle East.

“We’ve come to realize that the need for a project of this magnitude is far greater than we initially anticipated. The need for capacity building in Jordan and the whole region has snow-balled and we have just started on the path to grow this into something big and truly meaningful and longstanding.”

Ahmed Hassan, a director from Tetra Tech, said he knew EcoTraining would be the best fit for the project.

“I’ve known EcoTraining from previous visits to South Africa and realized that what we wanted to achieve in the long run, could not start on a better footing than using their method of training as a model. But hard work still remains, it is indeed only step one of a long journey.”

(From left) Short Osama, Tall Osama, Nadia, Anton Lategan, Ahmed Hassan, Chris Johnson, Abdullah

During their yearlong course, the two Osamas, Abdullah and Nadia were exposed to the diverse ecological and geological terrains, landscapes, wildlife species and so much more in places like Makuleke, Karongwe and Selati where EcoTraining has its wilderness camps.  For the first six months, the company’s highly experienced instructors shared and imparted their wealth of knowledge on a variety of subjects – geology, astronomy, ecology, botany, taxonomy, animal behavior and conservation management, to name but a few. Then they got a taste of what life as a field guide really is like with their placement at a lodge.

Apart from being amazed at the amount of knowledge they accumulated in the time since taking those first tentative steps a year ago, Nadia said she is fully aware of the huge responsibility now resting on their shoulders, to transform and help shape the guiding industry in a different part of the world.

Nadia

“We have had the privilege of living in an environment that few people nowadays get to experience, living among wild animals in their natural environment, and being able to study and observe from only a short distance away.

All in all this has been an amazing adventure and I had the time of my life! Make no mistake, it has been grueling and the amount of information that I have absorbed has been enormous but I have learnt so much and everything has been interesting. I can recognize hundreds of bird calls, achieved a track-and-sign level 1, can tell the difference between a black and white rhino by looking at their dung, which way a leopard is moving and whether it’s a female or male by looking at its tracks in the dirt, and I know which tree can ease my pain and which one could kill me.

But most importantly, I have an appreciation and deep respect for all creatures like I have never had before. I wouldn’t have realized all this if it weren’t for those special people we have had the honor and great privilege to meet along the way. The dedication and knowledge of these highly experienced instructors in promoting conservation and helping to educate others on why our environment and everything in it is so important, has made a big impression.”

Tall Osama

‘Tall’ Osama said his dream to travel and explore the world came true when the RSCN awarded him one of the coveted spots in the yearlong professional field guide course with EcoTraining.

“I am not sure if it was normal for a little child of four years old to answer the classical question of what you do you want to be when you grow up with “Emperor” but this was my answer. I couldn’t even pronounce it right but since then, I learned to dream big. And now I am prepared to go back to Jordan and teach this art to others. In the end I would thank my beloved parents, brother and sisters, the RSCN, Chris Johnson and all the people that build up my story with pieces from here and then.”

Short Osama

Every single person that he met in the last year, has marked his life forever, is how ‘Short’ Osama reflected on his time with EcoTraining.

“And I have to also give thanks to every impala. From the very first one that we saw and didn’t even know what it was. We were just amazed by its beauty, taking pictures and posing with it. To the very last one that we took for granted and thought to ourselves it’s just another impala.”

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step, and Abdullah may have summed it up best when he said that their lives have now been changed forever, and for the better.

Abdullah

“It has been an amazing year spent with great people with an absolute love and passion for nature and all that happens out in the wild. I can honestly say that I never could have imagined an experience like this. I am now very much looking forward to the rest of the journey and sharing what I have learned.”

BE ONE WITH NATURE: MASHATU CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH COURSE, 13-25 NOVEMBER 2012 (BOTSWANA)

Take a moment, and picture this…

Following in the footsteps of the largest herd of free roaming elephant on private land, picking up the spoor of lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, bat eared foxes, aardwolves, cheetahs, and at night with the help of a spotlight scouring the plains for a glimpse of night dwellers like porcupines, aardvarks, genets and civets.

If you want to join in an unrivalled adventure experience of this nature, then book a place on the EcoTraining conservation and research course at our Mashatu wilderness camp in Botswana. For 14 days you will roam this massive tract of land in the easternmost corner of Botswana, the ideal terrain to appreciate the wild.

And this is what you will get to experience, among other things. Feast your eyes...

This course offers you the opportunity to join a dedicated research project in a new approach to game management. This exciting new concept in wildlife management creates a need for volunteers to assist in research of populations moving through this vast wilderness. Educational modules will be included in the form of lectures and daily drives and walks, projects and reserve work. Link in with researchers in the area and help collect data and share knowledge of the area.

More scenes from life at Mashatu...

It’s all about the bush. So as is the case with our other camps, the Mashatu camp is unfenced, and animals do on occasion wander through. Therefore don’t be surprised to wake up and find elephant, leopard or lion tracks around the camp.

Make 2012 a memorable year, give yourself an early Christmas present and book your place on the course running from 13-25 November! For more information and bookings, email enquiries@ecotraining.co.za or visit www.ecotraining. 

SAVE OUR RHINOS!

This is certainly one of the most iconic pictures of Africa and its inhabitants - a rhino, etched against the sky with the last rays of the day still lingering, head held high and with its horn prominently on display. 

Tomorrow (Saturday 22 September) is International Rhino Day and EcoTraining has been right in the middle of the fight in trying to save these magnificent beasts from disappearing from the natural landscape. We have added a Rhino Conservation and Research course to our program as we believe education is vital to informing not only discerning nature lovers, but all and sundry that has a respect for all inhabitants of this planet. 

The picture, as described in the intro to this story, is however fast fading into oblivion. A hundred rhinos have been killed in the last two months alone and the figure for 2012 has already crossed the 380+ mark. If the current rate of unabated killing continues, close on 600 rhinoceros would meet their end with the bullet from a poacher's weapon by the time 2012 closes out. This would be up from 448 last year and 333 the year before.

And all this for a horn that is made up of keratin, melanin and calcium and similar to horses' hooves, turtle beaks and cockatoo bills. But to change deep-rooted Eastern and Asian believes that it is a cure for cancer, a remedy against a host of other illnesses and an aphrodisiac, is going to take a lifetime. Put on top of that the international fetching price of anywhere between $40 000 to $65 000 per kilogram for this precious commodity, it almost seems like an insurmountable task. Even more so if museums across the globe are now also having to remove their rhinos from public view after a spate of thefts. There have been 57 thefts and 12 attempted thefts of rhino horn from museums in 15 countries in Europe since the start of 2011.

That is why the tireless efforts of private land and rhino owners, rangers, conservation organisations, the police and military, and the general public is of vital importance to save the species. They are taking up the plight of the rhino to ensure that future generations will still have the opportunity to see these grey beasts as part of the natural landscape.

To ensure the survival of their precious stock, the owners of the Selati Game Reserve in Limpopo, where EcoTraining has one of its wilderness camps, undertook a massive project earlier in the year to send a clear message to potential poachers, "Keep your hands of your rhinos!" A group of one year professional field guide students were on hand to witness first hand and got a taste of conservation at work.

The management of the reserve, in cooperation with the proper veterinary assistance, started dehorning some of Selati's rhino population (black and white). Great care was taken during the whole operation and all the necessary measures were put in place. The animals were handled with the utmost care as a rhino's horn is not fixed to the skull, but almost an extension of the skin.

It is believed that the dehorning, in addition to strengthening the anti-poaching patrols on the ground and from the air as well as various other safeguards, will greatly reduce the temptation to those with weapons and a savage agenda. The re-growth will also be monitored and cut regularly to ensure that the horn mass remains very low.

There may be questions and arguments from some corners about the effectiveness of dehorning as a deterrent to poachers, on how and if it affects the social behavior of the animals and the reaction of tourists upon seeing an 'altered' animal in the wild. Nothing overtly negative or detrimental has yet been recorded on each mooted point though.

The bottom line is, the time for talking is long gone and it is only the dedicated action of concerned conservationists, like the landowners of Selati, that will give South Africa's rhinos a fighting chance.

For more information and dates on the Rhino Conservation and Research course, visit www.ecotraining.co.za or send an email to enquiries@ecotraining.co.za.  

FABULOUS FEATHERS – WIN A BIRDING TRIP TO KRUGER!

Shake the winter blues away, get ready, because spring is officially only 15 days away! It’s time to strut your stuff on a grand scale, and what better way than with winning a fantastic birding trip for two worth over R25 000 from 21-27 October 2012! Dust those binoculars off and start scanning the skies because EcoTraining, in cooperation with Africa Geographic and Africa – Birds and Birding, is offering this unique experience to some lucky ‘twitchers’.

As the winner, you will be able to explore the Makuleke concession in the 24 000 hectares of the Pafuri region in the most northern part of the Kruger National Park. It is the most diverse and scenically attractive region of the KNP and an area that teems with all things wild and wonderful, with those taking to the skies in flight too numerous to mention.

The basic birding course, “Birding in the bush” is a very practical course, designed to broaden and enrich your knowledge and skills by educating you about the fascinating world of birds. It caters for those who wish to learn the basics of birding identification or improve their existing identification skills. There are some lectures which includes birding ethics and code of conduct, birding equipment, bird anatomy and physiology as well as species identification in the field. The theory sessions take place during the day and practical bird identification sessions in the early morning and late afternoon, either driving or walking.

The popularity of birding as a hobby amongst South African and international guests have risen considerably. We are therefore confident that any person attending our course will leave more enriched and with greater confidence in being able to pass on the wonders and beauty of the South African birdlife to family, friends or clients.

The competition closes on 15 September 2012. To enter, send us a birding related email on our enquiry page on the website at www.ecotraining.co.za , or join our fan page on Facebook:  EcoTraining – Ecotourism Specials and post your birding photos on the competition update.

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

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