Falling in love with nature

Staying in camp while everyone is out does have its perks. Kirsten, Mashatu's back-up instructor had an interesting morning:

“After working in the bush for several months as a back-up instructor, you start believing that the camp is a safe zone from the rest of the wilderness. However, we are occasionally reminded that this is not the case; whether it is elephants trumpeting next to our tents or warthogs walking by to drink from the water tank that is over flowing.

While the students were out of camp for the morning activity, I went about with my normal routine. I spent most of my time chasing troops of vervet monkeys away from the kitchen whilst trying to clean the storeroom. Just as I was done with my duties, I heard exciting shouts from Kenia, our camp cook. I hurried to her aid to find that I did not deter all the monkeys. A tiny infant monkey got separated from its mother and was now curled up between the kitchen shelves and gazed up at me helplessly.

I had to lift the baby out of its hiding place to try to return it to its mother. One part of me really wanted to adopt the cute little monkey, but I decided against it. I do not believe there is a person in this world capable of resisting falling hopelessly in love with an infant monkey clinging to your shirt.

Fortunately, its mother was waiting for me to return her baby. I placed the infant at the bottom of a tree and waited for about 10 minutes before the mother came down from the tree and scooped it up was and got lost in the foliage of a Mashatu tree in an instant.

Unfortunately we do not have pictures to share as it happened so quickly and very unexpected.”

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

Guiding: A means of educating people in the ways of the natural world

Guiding is all about connecting things, be they other organisms, abiotic factors of the ecosystem or cultural uses.  The sandpaper raisin (Grewia flavescens) offers an educated guide the opportunity to show off their ability to link these aspects. 

Easily identifiable due to its square branches, the sandpaper raisin is often found on rocky areas, termite mounds and riverine bush.  Its fruits provide a great source of nutrients for a plethora of animals, including elephant, warthog, baboon, a variety of antelope species and a myriad of frugivorous birds.  These same fruits can also be soaked in water for a few days to make a refreshing drink that is popular in Keokoland, northern Namibia.

The wood of the raisin family is hard and durable and its branches often grow very straight, leading to its cultural use as fire sticks and also for making arrow shafts.  In this area, the Shangaans have adopted an unusual ritual to test the manhood of young boys:  3 pieces of wood are cut from a large branch and placed between the fingers of the hands, with the square edges pressing into the nerves at the base of the fingers.  The fingers are then squeezed closed and the recipient must not show any signs of pain to prove himself.  Alasdair Armstrong was my unfortunate guineapig as I demonstrated the ritual and as you can see, he failed to prove himself!

Guiding is as much about entertaining your guests as it is educating them in the ways of the natural world.  Too much science can saturate guests and thus an essential guiding skill is interaction.  

Guides must learn to use all 5 senses when taking a guest on safari and immersing them in the cultural history of the area is an important tool.  The bush is full of things to touch, taste, smell and hear and it is demonstrations like this that can take a guest’s, often once in a lifetime, experience to the next level.

Photos and article by Ben Coley