FINALLY SOME RAIN

Makuleke got its first taste of some decent rain last week and almost instantly the bush transformed into a completely different place. It is incredible how just a small injection of nature's life giving nectar can have such a profound affect on not only nature's physical appearance but it's mood as well!

It is almost as if every animal is walking with a bit more of a spring in their step, every bird singing with a bit more enthusiasm, every bug scurrying around with a bit more intent and all the plants have just simply come alive! 

The immediate impact that rain has on an ecosystem is of course incredible, but have you ever thought about what is IN a drop of rain? We know that rain is water and water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, but, in order for a rain drop to form it needs a nuclei. A small partical right in the middle around which the water can cling to in order to form a rain drop. This nuclei can be a small spec of dust or even pollen.

A rain drop, however, contains much more than just a few molecules of water and a nuclei. It contains hope, potential and promise. Water is the universal solvent in which all the processes of life take place. Contained within the perfectly spherical ball of a glistening rain drop is the power to give life, restore strength and wash away the dust of past worries and stress. Isn't nature incredible!?

Blog and photo by Vaughn du Plooy

MAKULEKE AS I SEE IT...

In this blog Vaughn will take you on a journey to the bush and make you want to leave everything behind to get that same down to earth experience he is describing. This is what he had to say:

"Tucked away in the far North of Kruger National Park, hugged by two rivers and littered with baobabs, lies a truly remarkable piece of land. 26000ha of pristine wilderness, as rich in ecological biodiversity as it is is in cultural history.

I first set foot in the Makuleke concession, also known as the Pafuri triangle, one unusually balmy day in July a few years ago. I had just embarked on a life changing adventure, a transition from overworked and underpaid diesel mechanic on South Africa's platinum mines to intrepid trails guide and all round quality South African safari guide. Well, at least that is what I thought at the time anyway. I had no idea of the roller coaster ride of self discovery, laughter, tears, love and friendship that lay ahead of me.

Looking back on an unbelievable couple of years, there is without a doubt, one element that stands out. The starting point and solid bedrock of my personal journey. A constant in a continually changing and evolving set of memories, decisions and chances. Makuleke.

Sure, I understand, how can I possibly expect you to believe that a piece of land can have such a profound affect on a person's life. I mean, when you break it down and strip it bare, it is merely a bunch of biotic and abiotic components reacting and inter-reacting, creating relationships and inter relationships and forming a canvas on which a picture of life can be painted... But Makuleke is not just another piece of land. It is an expertly woven tapestry with a beauty and complexity very rarely seen. It is a small piece of wild heaven, a big step back into Old Africa. It is a place where magic not only exists, but where you can see it every single day. Join me on a walk through the heart of one of South Africa's last true remaining wilderness areas as Alan mcSmith an I, try to shine a gentle light of understanding on some of the secrets of the ebb and flow of life and history in the unique and truely memorizing Makuleke concession." - Vaughn Du Plooy

Watch out...there is a hippo in the road.

Ben Coley with the hippo in the background

While out on a drive at Karongwe, the game drive vehicle came across a bit of an unexpected roadblock. Ben Coley describes the encounter in more detail.

"At the time of the detour, we were behind  elephants on the road so I tried to take a different road to get in front of them.  It had rained heavily in the morning and the reserve was dotted with puddles so I thought nothing of the pool of water ahead of us.  As my front wheels touched water, something moved.  We thought it was a terrapin until a huge shape loomed up, arched its neck and opened its mouth wide to reveal some formidable weaponry!  It turns out that this puddle was already occupied by a hippo!  I would like to thank the hippo for saving my blushes as without it causing me to stop, we would have no doubt become stuck as the ‘puddle’ must have been a meter deep!  Another great of example that in the bush, you never know what is around the next corner!"

The final hurdle

What does it mean to be a qualified field guide?  People come from all walks of like to attend this course and to enrich their understanding and personal experience of the bush.  I personally have trained people from probably 20 different nations and from age 18 right through to 70!  This is perhaps the greatest gift the bush has to offer: it doesn’t matter what your knowledge levels is, where you are from or how old you are, the bush has something for you.  Whether that be a holistic connection to your ancestors or something as simple as escapism shouldn’t matter.  The bush is the bush and how we interpret it is our own private experience.

The students on the latest FGASA level 1 course came from far and wild.  South Africans, Germans, Belgians, Portugese and even Sri Lankans came together to share their thirst for knowledge and passion for the bush.  The programme was as intense as ever and come the last 2 weeks of tests and the final assessment, stress levels were rising!  I’m not going to lie to any prospective student on such a course, it’s not easy.  It would be impossible for me to explain the sheer amount of knowledge that is expected of you in a relatively short space of time, but the bush gives back what you put in, and the more you learn, the more you begin to appreciate the myriad of subtle intricacies that often go overlooked on a day by day basis.

 The latest group of students worked and played hard.  There is no better classroom than the bush itself and twice daily activities certainly gave them great exposure to their new world.  The bush was being extremely kind this month and lions were seen regularly, 4 leopards, hyaena pups and even 2 aardvark sightings were just some of the highlights laid on for us by Mother Nature!  The students rewarded her generosity but knuckling down when the time came and we are delighted to report that they achieved a 100% pass mark in the FGASA theory exam!  All that remained was one final practical assessment:  a chance to show their assessor that they were able to take all of this new-found knowledge and package into a 3 hour drive designed to entertain and inform guests from all walks of life.

This exercise strikes fear into most but the hard work has been done.  The assessment is about sharing a genuine love of nature with like-minded people and putting your own personal stamp on the proceedings.  Anyone can read a guide book on safari but the true skill of a nature guide is to be able to involve and entertain and host guests, interpret behaviour and signs and most importantly, link every aspect of the natural world with another.  The bush is not made up of hundreds of individual organisms, it is an intricate network of symbiotic relationships honed by millennia of evolution!

Students excelled themselves and enjoyed a host of sightings during assessment week including daily giraffe encounters and a few white rhino along the way.  Markers were set with regard to interactivity on drives such as the tea made fresh from russet bushwillow (Combretum hereroense) seed pods, spinach from the leaves of the buffalo thorn (Ziziphus mucronata) and even a necklace made from impala dung!  Suffice to say that the students performed brilliantly across the board I am delighted to report that their high standards set in the theory aspects were upheld, with all passing their assessments with flying colours!  I can honestly say that the standard was hugely high and as an instructor, it is so satisfying to see a group of strangers coming so far in such a short period of time.  I joined EcoTraining to try and do my part to uphold the standards of the guiding industry and on the evidence of this group, the future of guiding in SA looks bright!  

Article and photos by Ben Coley

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!) 

THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE – ECOTRAINING PROFESSIONAL FIELD GUIDE COURSE – BOOK NOW FOR SEPTEMBER!

Yearning to break away and experience something truly life-changing? Want to understand the intricate inner-workings of nature and how all is connected? Have time?

Then book your place on EcoTraining’s professional field guide course and walk away with a deeper understanding of Africa’s web of life, a greater appreciation for conservation and an altogether different outlook on life.

The next course, starting in September, is filling up quickly and for a limited period EcoTraining will offer this course at a special rate (terms and conditions apply).

To join in the adventure of a life time and book one of those last remaining places, send an email to enquiries@ecotraining.co.za.

This course is not only for people wishing to enter the industry as field guides, but for anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of the African bush. 

For almost one year you will be exposed to diverse ecological and geological terrains, landscapes, wildlife species and so much more at our wilderness camps in places like Makuleke, Karongwe, Selati (South Africa) and Mashatu (Botswana).

After six months of theoretical and practical training, the lodge placement period will follow where interaction with guests from all over the world will certainly give you more memories to bank.  At the end of the year you will therefore not only be qualified, but will also have gained practical experience in the lodge industry. 

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:

“I was privileged to work in the Wilderness Pafuri camp in the Kruger National Park. Most of the employees are from the local Makuleke tribe and in many ways it felt like working in an extension of the local community with all the complexity, disasters, fun and frolics that that involved. It was an eye opener to say the least to be dropped head first into this, straight in to guiding paying guests, negotiating the workings of the lodge and above all trying to contribute something useful to the mix. My time there was awesome, not always easy but overall awesome.”

Candice Wagener McGuire echoes these sentiments:

“It’s not because life is like a holiday every day, even with the long shifts in tow. 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.”

These first-hand accounts will now most certainly make you send that email to enquiries@ecotraining.co.za to book a place on the next year course in September. You won’t regret it!

And in case you were still wondering, a final word from Nick...

“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…” 

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.”

Win a birding trip to Kruger National park.

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.

IT’S ALL FOR THE BIRDS – WIN A FANTASTIC KRUGER TRIP FOR TWO!

The bush is slowly starting to emerge from its winter slumber with spring just around the corner. And this can only mean one thing – the migratory species of the feathered kind are on their way back to the southern tip of Africa. To celebrate EcoTraining, in cooperation with Africa Geographic and Africa – Birds and Birding, is offering the chance of a lifetime for all birders in winning a competition for two worth over R25 000 from 21-27 October 2012.

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.

"Stars and charging Lions"

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.

Constellation madness this Month at Selati

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