The Inkwenkwezi Conservation project in South Africa
Faye Coulson talks about her personal experience on the Inkwenkwezi Conservation project in South Africa
African Conservation Experience
Looking for something to do on your Gap Year? Think about the African Conservation Experience!
There's a new consciousness rising in the world. Tourists want to engage more in the destinations they visit. They're thinking about how they live, how they travel, how they can do something positive. South Africa offers some of the most meaningful ways for visitors to do exactly that.
Wildlife volunteer projects are commonplace in South Africa, given its abundant game. Work through responsible voluntourism agents and you'll be rewarded with highly gratifying programmes that include monitoring and tracking the Big 5, feeding and caring for abandoned animals, and working with endangered species such as cheetahs and wild dogs.
Community tourism projects in South Africa are inspired by Nelson Mandela's legacy of moral fortitude and offer a way for the local and international traveller to acquire a little of his glow and change the southern tip of Africa for the better in some small or large way.
South Africa's 29 vulnerable species include three highly charismatic antelope – one majestic, one puckish, one like a fairy–steed. The 2 larger buck are specialised feeders, and subtle ecological changes may have affected their numbers. The tiny blue duiker though, is feeling the effects of forest fragmentation.
Climate change in South Africa is starting to affect the country's famed biodiversity. Rainfall patterns are changing, which is starting to stress certain species. Conservationists are working on creating reserves that are linked along west–east axes for maximum effect. And there's plenty you can do to help too.
Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa was established in 2003 and the organisation has now certified dozens of responsible tourism destinations and activities. It guarantees that members pay good wages, recruit local staff, buy local goods, adhere to environmental stewardship principles, and generally operate on an ethical basis.
The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre is among South Africa's best–respected animal sanctuaries. During your visit you will see creatures that are so rare that your chances of seeing them in the wild are vanishingly slim. Cheetahs are the reason the centre started, but you'll love all the other animals too.
You'll see them lining the N10 highway from Colesberg to Cradock in the Karoo. Their little roadside stalls are packed with spinning, silver–wheeled windmill replicas, the ultimate icon of South Africa's dry heartland. They don't cost much, they're low maintenance and by buying one you're helping to sustain a decades–old crafting tradition.