Gain valuable skills and play a vital role in conserving South African national park wildlife

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Program Overview
Life on the Program
Project Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

Participants who work on this thrilling placement in South Africa will receive an initial comprehensive two-week training upon arrival, provided by local specialists who work full time in the world-renowned Kruger National Park.

Once trained, you will be assigned your placement on one of the awe-inspiring parks, all known for their diverse wildlife and expansive landscapes. Working alongside the high-profile “People and Conservation” department you will gain a truly unique education on conservation practices in the field. The main aim of this department is to connect the local people to their surrounding environment by educating visitors on all aspects of the program.

Highlights on this internship includes; Living in the most spectacular locations in South Africa; Learning about conservation in National Parks; The Training fortnight in Kruger National Park; Five day tour of parks with fellow interns; Working with local communities and amazing wildlife encounters; Diverse adventure opportunities such as game viewing, camping, hiking, bush walks and canoeing and white water rafting.

After a successful internship, qualifying candidates may be given the opportunity to work for GVI or selected partner organizations in South Africa, or in other countries around the world where GVI operate.

Life on the Program

The Resident Officer for People & Conservation that will be assigned to you will be selected based on your skills, experience and the immediate needs of the park while you’re there. Each park will offer a variety of different projects.

The two week training program in Kruger National Park includes;

basic field guiding techniques
Reptile handling course
Game drives/walk and much more
A five day tour of the national parks midway through programme
Discounted entry to all national parks
FGASA annual membership
Manual and exam subscription for Level One Theory

Work Placement:

Following the training at Kruger National Park, you will travel to your assigned park where you will undergo an orientation and further training specific to that park and department. The programs you will be involved-in vary in each park, as some departments focus more in environmental education whilst others are more culturally orientated.

The park you will be assigned to will vary in landscape from wild savannahs to mountains and coastal plateaus. The accommodation provided will be basic and shared with other park staff, and will have electricity and running water. Food however must be purchased and prepared on your own time.

Project Details

The main areas of focus for the “People & Conservation” department are divided in three categories:

Community-based conservation

As a general rule, communication between the parks and local population has not been productive. This is why the department strives to accommodate visitors to the park, and include them on the decision-making process for future policies.

Environmental Education

The core focus of the department is to educate visitors on the work completed on the park. Varying methods to achieve this are applied, but generally involve: presentations, discussion, interpretive displays, guided walks and reservation tours.

Cultural Heritage

Along with the animal wildlife, the parks are also home to many cultural heritage sites such as rock art and sacred grounds. As these sites play a critical role in reviving indigenous knowledge and oral history, they must be conserved and managed properly to share with communities throughout the years.

Volunteer Testimonials

Kirsteen McLeish, United Kingdom

I was incredibly lucky to work with a great SANParks supervisor and team as well as the local communities. I took part in the Kids in Parks program, I was lucky enough to go to Botswana to dart lions, I joined a 4 day trip following cheetahs and studying their behaviour, I took part in an aerial census of the park and I went on a training Imbewu Camp with the Wilderness Leadership School and the elders from the local Khomani San Bushmen community. I also met my partner Richard during the Imbewu Camp!!

During my time in Bontebok we had a controlled burn, two game counts and a three-day game capture. As for People & Conservation work – we reached 1000+ students mostly in school visits but there...

Kim Rozell, USA

During my time in Bontebok we had a controlled burn, two game counts and a three-day game capture. As for People & Conservation work – we reached 1000+ students mostly in school visits but there were park visits, exhibitions and municipal programs as well. And always there was time to dash out of the office to watch birds, gawk at the mountain zebra or catch the bontebok just grazing.

I completely fell in love with the freedom of movement allowed in a non-predator park, and with daily encounters with the wildlife. The Bontebok staff is like a family.