Eastern Cape Conservation Experience Project

Eastern Cape project is designed in a way to provide a hands-on experience in conservation to its international volunteers. Volunteers of Eastern Cape take part in both—short and long term projects. The project is based on basic wildlife conservation ethics and focuses to maintain the prevailing ecosystem and bionetwork of the reserve.

Volunteers for this project will be placed in game reserves where they will get to experience wildlife in their most natural environment and get close to nature, helping them gain a basic understanding of how the reserves are managed and how daily activities are carried out with the aim of conserving wild animals.

Goal of project

The primary goal of the project is to promote ethical wildlife practice and principles in South Africa. The activities of the project focus on the promotion of sustainability for future generations to come.

Involvement and activities:

Volunteers will be assigned with activities that will require them to visit the Born Free Foundation and Animal Rehabilitation Center. Volunteers of this project may not have to directly intervene and interact with wildlife species but they may have to get close to and directly participate with in activities at a closer proximity to wildlife. The project that volunteers will be involved in will depend upon the length of the volunteers' stay. Please note that volunteers may have to indulge in activities that may require physical work.

Volunteers can also engage themselves in several monitoring projects that focus on research and management of information about the species in the reserve. Involvement in research will enable volunteers to have an enriching and diverse experience.

The programs run throughout the week from Monday to Friday, from 08H00 to 17H00 and the volunteers may also have to assist in the weekend duties too. They may also be required to participate in activities early in the morning or late nights, which will depend on the tasks that are required to be completed during the stay of the volunteers.

Fees and Dates:

Global Crossroad provides volunteer programs at the lowest prices possible. Global Crossroad gives you the assurance that you will save a lot of money with our programs, because we do not promote the idea of volunteers spending thousands of dollars just to volunteer for a week. We also try our best in keeping our transactions transparent for volunteers to know and ensure that their fees are being used in the right way possible.

Except our registration fee of $299, our fees are as affordable as $999. The detailed fee structure of wildlife programs are as follows:

The dates for Wildlife project are as follows:

  • Weeks
  • 1 Week
  • 2 Week
  • 3 Week
  • 4 Week
  • 5 Week
  • 6 Week
  • 7 Week
  • 8 Week
  • Extra Per Week
  • Program Fee US$
  • N/A
  • $1285
  • $1880
  • $2475
  • $3070
  • $3665
  • $4260
  • $4860
  • $645

Dates:

The program begins every Monday of the month, and volunteers are required to arrive at Port Elizabeth Airport before 4 pm on that day. Transportation from the airport to the game reserve is exclusively available on Mondays. The actual project work commences on the following Tuesday.

Free time

Volunteers will have a lot of extra things to do during their free time. They can participate in game drives, camping, target shooting, bush walks and can also learn to cook unique African cuisine.

However, volunteers should note that these activities are dependent on the availability of guides and vehicles and those extra activities are self paid by the volunteers. The activities are not free, therefore volunteers are recommended to bring extra cash with them if they wish to indulge in extra activities during their free time. It is important to note that these activities are subject to availability of vehicles and guides.

Major FAQ

  • Where do I need to fly?
  • How can I get to the project?
  • What vaccinations do I need?
  • How can I communicate with family?
  • How safe is the project?
  • Will there be someone to guide/supervise us?
  • Will there be other volunteers?
  • Any other important information to consider?
  • This project is very strenuous and can be physically demanding. If you are not able to work for long hours or you are not capable of doing highly strenuous work, then it is advised that you look for other projects instead.

    Patience, adaptability, and travel experience is a must when taking on this project, as volunteers will be surrounded with unfamiliar faces on unfamiliar places. Love for animals is also a vital trait a volunteer should possess, as taking care of animals is the main focus of this project.

    While animals are the main focus on this project, safety and precaution when in the company of these animals is a must. These are wild animals. As such, they can be feral and aggressive. Be sure to observe and adhere to the safety rules detailed on the project discussion to avoid getting yourself injured.

    Once you are done with your volunteer experience, you can go on various tours such as:

    • 7-day trip to Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls
    • 7-day trip to Okavango Delta
    • 5-day trip to Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls
    • 10-day trip to Okavango Delta and Chobe and Victoria Falls