Environmental & Cultural Odysseys
Sustainable Student Travel
Od-ys-sey:
[od - uh - see].
1. a long wandering and eventful journey with adventures. 2. An intellectual
or spiritual quest: an odyssey of discovery...
Wildlife Management & Conservation
This 22-day program allows students to experience the world of wildlife management and conservation in Southern Africa by interacting with wildlife professionals and conservationists to learn about the reality of African wildlife in the field. Through hands-on immersion students will learn about the unique challenges and crucial balance of people and wildlife in conservation. You will learn about sustainable resource utilization, reserve & resort management, wildlife management techniques unique to the local ecosystem, and take part in a wild-game capture & release course. This will be accomplished by visiting local villages, national parks, game preserves, and wildlife centers throughout South Africa whilst earning university credit! This program is hosted through an extension of the Center for Wildlife Management at the University of Pretoria and has been conducting study abroad programs for over 10 years. The programs are aimed at those students wanting to participate in an exciting, in-depth, educational experience that allows behind-the-scenes access to the field of wildlife management and conservation in South Africa.
Once you arrive in Johannesburg, you will meet with other students and the program guides for an introduction and orientation for the program. The course starts early the next day with a workshop at the Center for Wildlife Management before going to the cheetah and wild dog breeding center which has helped bring both species back from near extinction. The journey begins with a visit to the Bushveld where we tent-camp on the shores of the Loskop Reservoir to learn about primitive bush skills, wildlife tracking techniques, and the utilization of local plants. From there we travel to the world famous 2-million hectare Kruger National Park where the chance to see Africa’s BIG FIVE are great! The bush is our classroom and students will truly experience what this beautiful place has to offer while big game viewing and learning about elephant populations, transfrontier park management, and the threats of poaching. After leaving KNP, we will head to the majestic Drakensberg Mountains (Mountains of the Dragon) for a night of camping and free day. The highlight of the program comes with a hands-on game capture course where students will spend five days working with world renowned specialists to learn the ins and outs of successful capture, handling, and translocation techniques.
see our other South African program: Vets-in-the-Wild
Program Dates
Dec 27, 2009 - Jan 17, 2010
May 16 - June 6, 2010
June 20 - July 11, 2010
Dec 28 - Jan 18, 2011
Program Costs
$4285. Program fee includes: tuition (8-credits), all accommodations, meals, in-country transportation, camping equipment, permits & entry fees. It does not include international airfare, visa costs, personal spending money, or travel insurance (contact us for more details)
Credit Offered
NLB 311 – Ecosystems and wildlife management (4 credits)
It is important to know in conservation that there is no precisely repeatable
pattern in nature. Each region is unique in its own right and contains a
combination of abiotic and biotic factors specific to the region. Every
region will thus be treated against this background and students will participate
in formulating management strategies. In the biology and management of game
in different ecosystems which will be visited, emphasis will be on the adaptation
of game to specific areas and the dynamics of game populations under these
conditions. Animal behavior will be studied, water utilization and game
condition will be dealt with as well as diseases, feed selection, parasites,
nutrition and the principals of sustainable use of nature.
NLB 312 – People and Nature Conservation (4 credits)
In this section the emphasis will be on grazing and browse capacity and
general concepts of carrying capacity in a multi-species park. This includes
tourist carrying capacity and how to manage a game lodge in a way that maximizes
the experience of the tourist yet minimizes the impact on the environment.
Park management will further emphasize road layout and fire as a management
tool. The importance of historical and cultural sites will be treated as
the group visits these areas. Many of these places are maintained by local
communities for a livelihood and this reduces their dependence on the natural
resources of the area.
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Program Details:
Accommodations
All accommodations are included in the program fee. Accommodations range from guest house bunks, to permanent tent camps, to camping in the bush each with (or without) amenities. Students must bring their own sleeping bag and pillow, all other equipment is provided.
Transportation
All in-country transportation is included in the program fee. While in traveling in the bush, students will be transported in a custom Safari-mobile which has been outfitted to hold up to 14 people, has large “photographer” windows, whilst carrying all camping equipment and fuel reserves.
Excursions
All excursions are included in the program fee. Includes: cheetah and wild dog breeding center, birds of prey center, reptile center, wildlife rehabilitation center.
Highlights
Kruger National Park and game capture course
