Description

Expedition Summary
Help Earthwatch protect biodiversity at a World Heritage Site hosting the second largest colony of African penguins on the planet.

Expedition Details
Your team will participate in a variety of research activities to monitor the health of this unique island environment, working with several experienced researchers and staff members. You'll conduct population surveys on penguins and other seabirds to determine their breeding success and survival and help with ongoing trials of a revolutionary new automatic system designed to detect and recognize individual penguins as they pass remote cameras.

Your research will bring you face-to-face with the daily rhythms of the island and the problems seabirds face, such as predation by seals and competition with fisheries. Besides raucous seabirds, Robben Island harbors several species of antelope, ostriches, ibises, and egrets. On your recreational days you can take the ferry to the mainland and enjoy some of Africa's premier tourist spots, including the Cape Town Waterfront and Table Mountain.

Meals and Accommodations
You'll share rooms in a simple but comfortable island house, just a 15-minute walk from the edge of the penguin colony. The house has electricity, a flush toilet, and hot and cold running water. You'll enjoy meals that use plenty of South Africa's famous fresh fruits and vegetables, and excellent meats. Team members will plan their own menus and rotate cooking and cleanup duties in the large and well-equipped kitchen.

About the Research Area
Robben Island is in Table Bay a few miles from Cape Town, South Africa. The climate is similar to Mediterranean areas, with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The island is one of southern Africas premier breeding sites for seabirds, a high proportion of which are endemic to the region. Apart from African penguins, bank cormorants, swift terns, Hartlaubs gulls, crowned cormorants (during many years Robben Island supports the worlds largest colonies), Cape cormorants and kelp gulls breed here. There are also significant colonies of sacred ibis, African black oystercatchers, cattle egrets and little egrets. A diversity of other wildlife thrives on the island, including four species of antelope (springbok, bontebok, eland and steenbok), one deer species, and various reptiles. There are also two male ostriches, but they seldom venture into the penguin colony area.

Cape Town is a cosmopolitan city with both natural beauty and cultural sites in abundance. Robben Island is at the heart of South Africas history, having once housed the infamous prison where many political activists were held during the Apartheid era, most notably Nelson Mandela. Volunteers will be given a tour of the prison site and will learn much about the history of South Africa, both from talking with the South African staff on the project and from personnel on the island.

Highlights

On the Expedition
Your team will participate in a variety of research activities to monitor the health of this unique island environment, working with several experienced researchers and staff members. You will conduct population surveys on penguins and other seabirds to determine their breeding success and survival and help with ongoing trials of a revolutionary new automatic system being designed to detect and recognize individual penguins as they pass remote cameras. Your research will bring you face-to-face with the daily rhythms of the island and the problems seabirds face, such as predation by seals and competition with fisheries. Besides raucous seabirds, Robben Island harbors several species of antelope, ostriches, ibises, and egrets. On free days you can take the ferry to the mainland and enjoy some of Africa's premier tourist spots, including the Cape Town Waterfront and Table Mountain.

Travel Types

• Camping
• Eco Tours
• Ecology
• Environmental Studies
• Nature Tours
• Volunteering
• Photography
• Tours

Qualifications

No experience is necessary  all you will need is enthusiasm and the desire to make a difference. For over 40 years Earthwatch Institute has pioneered the involvement of ordinary people in peer-reviewed scientific research worldwide. By joining an Earthwatch Expedition, you have a unique opportunity to get up-close and personal with some of the worlds rarest animals and visit remote and beautiful locations, while directly supporting conservation science. We offer life enhancing experiences in nearly 50 countries each year, with projects for teens, adults, and families.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

2,995 USD

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Registration fees
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Our volunteers not only contribute essential funds that help to cover the cost of the research, but also, through their inspiration and effort, they provide the people power without which many of our vital projects simply couldn't take place. We are a non-profit organization but accommodation, meals, insurance, training and transport in the field are also included in your contribution cost. As a non-profit organization that supports scientific research, your contribution and airfare costs are usually tax-deductible for U.S. citizens.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people, including students, retirees, families, educators, and anyone seeking an exciting journey that enables them to give back to the environment. Our expeditions have a wide range of activity levels, from hiking intensive to easy expeditions with limited physical activity. There is an Earthwatch expedition out there for everyone!

Age Range

Adult (age 18-90) teams available.

This Program is open to

Worldwide, American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi and South African Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Group living
• Apartment/Flat

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 3-5

Scholarships are Available

Very limited fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit our website for more information.

Application Process Involves

• Other
• Phone/Video Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

Brief

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement

Our mission is to inspire connections between people and the environment by engaging them in worldwide scientific field research and education. These efforts will promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. We believe it is essential that people participate in solving the environmental challenges we face.

Year Founded

1971