Natucate

Hi there! My name is Judith, 19 years old and from Germany. After graduating from High School in 2015, I had the strong feeling to go abroad, to leave my comfort zone and make new experiences. It was clear to me, that I wanted to do voluntary work in the field of nature conservation. After I picked South Africa as my preferred destination, I started to search for the right project and agency who would support me. Amongst all agencies I found there was only NATUCATE that entirely fulfilled my expectations: Volunteering which is not only focused on my own amusement but also committed to meaningful projects. From the first contact on I felt well supported and Daniel helped me with all my questions. In August I took the plane to Richards Bay in South Africa. After arrival, me and some other new volunteers were picked up by an employee of the host organization. At a stopover on our way to the project site I met the other team members and my mentor. The next stop was at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi National Park, which was actually my first adventure experience on this journey: We were sitting in the loading area of a pickup truck that made his bumpy way all through the wild savanna. And then something happened which I would have never expected on my first day: A dream became true and I saw wild elephants! On the first day in the camp I was introduced to the main tasks and duties, which included animal-tracking by radar and the collection and processing of collected data. Early in the morning and in the afternoon, we went out into the reserve by truck and tried to localize animals like for example lions and wild dogs. We had to look after our camera traps which we set up to observe animals in their natural habitat, without any human impact. Besides that, we also noted down further information like number, location and behavior. Usually the day started at 4 o’clock in the morning. I know it sounds hard, but the star-spattered sky and the breathtaking sunrise are worth it! Right after lunch in our camp, we went back to the reserve. Despite our daily routine, no day was like the other, because every time you see different animals, with a different behaviour. Sometimes we could observe them for hours, other times just for a few seconds. Our mentor who had a broad knowledge about South Africa’s wild taught us a lot about typical animals and their traits, plants and ecosystems. I have never been bored, neither in the camp and nor in the field. In the camp we cooked together, played games, sports and we observed elephants from a special viewpoint. The team-spirit was amazing as we were all curious about deepen our knowledge about South Africa’s wildlife and shared a same sense of humor. The camp itself was very special to me. The facilities were quite simple but convenient. The surrounding area – just incredibly beautiful! The fact that there was no water supply in the camp and that we had to cover many kilometers to buy drinking water and food, made me appreciate these precious resources more. All in all, I had two amazing weeks, during which I learned a lot about South Africa’s beautiful nature and an ecosystem which was totally unknown to me before. Living in the nature, amongst wild animals and working in a meaningful project made my time abroad better than I would have ever expected it to be.

Our six-week adventure on the Seychelles started on 27th March 2017: We took part at a species conservation project on North Island. We could get a first glimpse of the island from the boat and it just looked beautiful! Our group leaders and the other volunteers gave us a warm welcome when we arrived. After our luggage was checked in the “ratroom” we had a look at our accommodation. It was very basic, but offered everything we needed. Afterwards one of our team leaders gave us a short introduction on the different tasks we would do within the following weeks. Marking the location of turtle nests during our daily beach patrols was one, so we were showen how to mark the nests correctly. Our team leader explained to us how we could tell the difference between an actual turtle nest, or if the turtle just dug a hole without laying any eggs. This was quite tricky in the beginning. This became one of our daily activities right from the start. There was a weekly timetable with different activities which had to be done including: Snorkeling, taking photos of different fish and shark species, rays etc., entering the collected data into a database. Relocating the original vegetation on the island, planting new seedling (we planted over 500 ones during our time in the project!) Insect control (allows to find out which nutritional value the ground can offer to the animals) Aldabra Turtle GPS: markin their location, sex and behaviour. Night patrols are another part of the weekly schedule. Night patrols involve looking for turtles on the beach. The green sea turtle only lays its eggs at night on the beach. We were lucky and could watch it a couple of times. When a turtle visits the beach at night to lay its eggs, the data of the turtle is collected. It is measured, and we had to check if the turtle already had an ID. The ID is a number for registration purposes to check where the individual turtle has been seen and if it had been to this beach before to lay its eggs. We always had a lot of fun while working and learned a lot about the island and nature conservation in general. During our free time we had the chance to explore the island. A hike to the top of Spa Hill and Bernica - unforgettable. The view was amazing! Another highlight was a BBQ and pizza on the beach at sunset. We can say that the time we spent in the project was the best time we ever had. We learned so much about North Island and nature conservation, met so many wonderful people and experienced warmth and kindness, which led to many new friendships. We do not want to miss the time in the Seychelles! (Katja and Andreas, 32 and 34 years, 6 weeks)

After my graduation from High School in 2016, I participated in a volunteer project in Nambia for one month in August. Till now my time in the project has been the best time I have ever had and I recommend it to everyone! The project is divided into two blocks, which are organized the same way every time, but still you will get a different experience each time. First you meet up in Swakopmund and get to know the rest of the volunteers. When I was there for my first block, our group had 15 volunteers and for the second block we were 12 participants. 12 to 15 people in one group is the largest it gets. The groups are mixed regarding age and also very international, which means it ranges from 15 to 60 years, but as a team of like-minded people the group members connect pretty quickly. On the following day the volunteers leave for a night at the basecamp which is a well-built camp next to a riverbed. If you are lucky you will see elephants which come around for a visit. Even though the camp is very basic, you feel comfortable straight away. After settling in the group starts straight away, by taking a 4x4 vehicle to Damaraland wherever our help is needed. In my case we started working close to a school by constructing walls around a water tank for the local farmers, which were not able to use this tank, because the pipe was destroyed regularly by elephants passing by. The work was tough but with a motivated group and a goal in mind the four working days go by very fast. We started working at 7 o'clock in the morning and stopped at 5 o'clock in the evening, with two breaks in between during the hot day times at noon. In the evening, the group spends time together. At the self-constructed camp, everyone sleeps next to each other on a canvas cover. Every day two people of the group are responsible for all tasks during the day, including cooking over the fire. This way, everyone gets his/her turn within the two weeks, which means that the rest of the time you get a fresh hot beverage every morning – with a Namibian sunrise, it simply does not get any better! For the weekend, the group heads back to the basecamp and next to some daily routines at the camp you have free time. I can promise you It will never get boring with so many nice people and such wonderful nature around you! The second week is the reward for the hard work of the week before: Tracking elephant herds to collect data for research! This means you and the group are driving around the different landscapes Namibia has to offer, whilst spotting giraffes, zebras, lion and hyena tracks and – of course – elephants. Observing these amazing animals in the wild is just incredible, this moment will take your breath away every time! To set up camp at a different location every day and to sleep on the ground gives you the most unique and authentic experience and impression of Namibia you can get, that’s what I think at least. After the last night the group returns to Swakopmund. First, I thought that repeating the whole procedure would be boring, but I proved to be wrong! With a new group and unpredictable nature it will never get boring and you will always experience new things. Our guide Chris and Old Matthias have an incredible knowledge about Namibia and elephants, so that you will learn a lot about and feel safe. For many people, this is probably the biggest challenge, as you are sleeping outdoors in Namibia, where there are snakes, scorpions, spiders and predators - and elephants, whose strength is beyond imagination. Where I am from, we are not used to these circumstances, but in Namibia you will learn and understand quickly how to live in harmony with nature. During my time at the project I did not meet one person who did not feel safe or to whom anything had happened. I want to thank NATUCATE for recommending this project to me. It was the start to my gap year and I had no experience regarding going abroad and did do a lot of research on projects which are only making profit, without thinking of conservation. In my opinion, you can be certain that with NATUCATE you will support a good cause and a sustainable project. Not to forget the support they gave me, which was unbelievable. During several phone calls they explained the project to me very clearly and I received answers to all my questions regarding flights, packing, vaccination and the whole preparation for my trip. Even while I was already in Namibia Daniel did check on me from time to time to see if everything was okay. It also made me feel comfortable to be able to get in touch with him quickly if I had a question and to receive a detailed response from him straight away. Overall, I can only recommend this project to everyone. I will never forget my time in Namibia and I hope that I will be able to come back. (Tobias, 18 years, 4 weeks)