Description

Expedition Summary
Help improve the odds for brown hyaenas and other fascinating wildlife in spectacular Pilanesberg National Park.

Expedition Details
Your team will explore protected and unprotected lands in search of wildlife, particularly brown hyaenas and other scavengers, species that are critically important to any ecosystem. Depending on the research site, you'll conduct wildlife surveys on foot for from vehicles, looking not only for the hyaenas, vultures, and insects themselves but also for their tracks, droppings, feeding sites, dens, nests, and other signs. You'll help capture and tag individual vultures, monitor their colonies and help assess their habitat. You'll help trap and identify different species of the industrious dung beetle, some of the regions most beautiful insects, ranging in color from the metallic iridescence thats earned some of them the name scarab beetles to patterns that help them blend into their surroundings to inky black. You'll also conduct predator population counts at night, playing tape recordings of their prey to attract lions and leopards as you conduct spotlight transects. (Many past volunteers report that this activity is one of the most thrilling field research experiences theyve had.)

Much of the work will take place within Pilanesberg National Park, which offers dramatic scenery in the remains of an extinct volcano. During your expedition you may also see zebras, impalas, white rhinos, elephants, wildebeest, lions, and leopards. In your recreational time, you may enjoy game drives, sundown drinks on the kopje (rock outcrop), and local cultural events such as drumming sessions.

Meals and Accommodations
You will be based at a field camp in the heart of Mankwe Wildlife Reserve, a classic bushveld landscape just east of the Pilanesberg massif. The reserve is home to white rhinos and a range of other endangered wildlife. You'll sleep in either a small field station or a walk-in safari tent, each with its own shower and flush toilet. The camp has solar-powered lights and wood-heated water. Team members will share meals in a group dining area, with a local chef preparing international and local cuisine, including poitjiekos (game stew) and braai (barbecue).

About the Research Area
The projects three study sites are all located within 30 miles of the Pilanesberg massif, northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. The landscape is part of the Southern African Bushveld, a classic African savanna of mixed grasses spotted with trees. This savannah area covers the southeast corner of Botswana, southern Zimbabwe and northern South Africa.

Pilanesberg National Park was created in 1979 in the remains of an extinct volcano, providing a dramatically scenic park. The area covers approximately 50,000 hectares and is surrounded by an electric fence that prevents large mammals from entering or leaving the park. Here you will find mixed acacia trees and broad-leaved bushveld, ranging from thickets to open grassland patches. There is a large dam in the center of the park and several smaller permanent water areas scattered about.

Since the parks creation over 6,000 individual animals have been reintroduced into the area. This includes all species that were thought to exist here before European settlers arrived, with the exception of the spotted hyaena. Many large herbivores are seen regularly, including zebras, impalas, white rhinos, elephants and wildebeests. The parks reintroduced predators include about 40 lions, 20 cheetahs, and a pack of wild dogs. Populations of leopards and brown hyaenas were already present when the park fence was constructed and both populations are now thriving.

Highlights

Pilanesberg National Park and neighboring areas, Northwest Province, South Africa -- Despite their bad reputation, brown hyenas are actually social mammals that live in tight-knit clans, where members will even help suckle each other's young. Like other carnivores, brown hyenas are suffering from shrinking habitats and conflict with humans. The land around protected areas is being increasingly developed, and hyenas that venture into neighboring farmland and game ranches are at risk of being poisoned, trapped, or hunted down as pests. Finding a way to live peacefully on land outside of parks may be the only means of survival for the fewer than 1,700 brown hyenas living in South Africa. You can help researchers Drs. Dawn Scott and Richard Yarnell and Mankwe Wildlife Reserve Manager Lynne Levitt assess the value of areas with different levels of protection for brown hyenas and a range of other carnivores.

Travel Types

• Eco Tours
• Ecology
• Environmental Studies
• 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 world's 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$:

$3,495

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• 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

Teen (age 15 - 18) and 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

• Other

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 8-15

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
• Physical Exam/Health Records

Typically The Application Process Time is

Brief

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network

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