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African Wildlife Photography and Conservation Education, South Africa In the impressive setting of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, which has recently been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we offer you the opportunity to photograph the phenomonal wildlife in the area, and to help raise awareness in the local community about the importance of conservation. For our latest St Lucia news visit http://web.mac.com/michelleprocter/Site/African_Impact_-_St_Lucia/African_Impact_-_St_Lucia.html Environmental Awareness & Wildlife Photography Course & Wildlife Safari, St. Lucia Wetland Park - Volunteer Project in South Africa, St Lucia Location St Lucia, East Coast of South Africa Project Length 4 week placement (1st-29th of each month) Age Limit Minimum 17 years, maximum decided on potential participants’ health Project Fee £1295 / $2590 (4 weeks) Includes all airport pick-ups, internal transfers between projects, food, accommodation and assistance by our experienced project managers, as well as vital funding for the various conservation initiatives. Volunteer Project Information The following links will jump you to different sections on this page, which provide all the information you will need for this Africa volunteer project: Environmental Awareness & Wildlife Photography Course & Wildlife Safari, St. Lucia Wetland Park, South Africa. » photo gallery | » more about this project | » volunteer & travel highlights » project fee includes & excludes | » day in the life of a volunteer... » volunteer support & orientation | » accommodation & meals | » getting there Photos South Africa Photos of Environmental Awareness & Wildlife Photography Course & Wildlife Safari, St. Lucia Wetland Park in Africa.   More about the African Wildlife Photography and Conservation Education in South Africa St. Lucia is situated within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly known as the St Lucia Wetland Park), a beautiful area that was declared as South Africa’s first Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO and which is called by many Africa’s premier bush-and-beach destination. Encompassing almost half a million acres, it is a stunning and ecologically diverse area, where five different eco-systems join, and where you find savannahs, wetlands, swamps, beaches, and a great wealth of wildlife. The area is home to the Zulu tribe; a group of people with a very lively and colourful culture. St. Lucia itself is a comfortable and charismatic town, within walking distance from the beach. In this impressive setting, we offer you the opportunity to photograph the phenomonal wildlife in the area, and to help raise awareness in the local community about the importance of conservation. CREATING A PICTURE DATABASE In order to preserve nature and wildlife, it is essential to get local communities involved. What is lacking in current educational syllabi is a detailed photographic database of the wildlife in the St. Lucia area. In association with the Green Vision Foundation, African Impact aims to create a complete database, and use it for educational purposes. As a volunteer, you will contribute to this goal by taking photographs of as many wildlife species as possible. You will photograph large animals such as elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard, as well as smaller creatures such as chameleons, insects, and some of the 521 bird species that call this World Heritage Site home. The best pictures will be included in our database. In addition, we will assist you in getting some of the best pictures published in magazines and/or books. The project is a unique opportunity to encounter some of Africa’s most beautiful animals on a daily basis, to improve your photography skills, as well as to contribute to conservational efforts. CONSERVATION EDUCATION To enhance awareness of UNESCO’s objectives and methods, as well as conservational efforts in general, it is vital to involve and educate St. Lucia’s local community. As a volunteer, you will visit local schools and community centers, and give classes and workshops about the reason for, and methods of conservation. You will, along with a conservation education syllabus, use our photography database to do this. In addition, you will take local school children and orphans into the bush on field trips. By experiencing the World Heritage Site and its wildlife themselves, the children will learn to appreciate the area they live in, and get a better understanding of educational efforts. It will also provide them with a fun and relaxing day out; something they don’t experience often! » back to top African Wildlife Photography and Conservation Education, St Lucia - Highlights This volunteer project in Africa includes: Environmental Awareness & Wildlife Photography Course & Wildlife Safari, St. Lucia Wetland Park • Improve your photography skills through a course led by an experienced wildlife photographer • Spend many hours in the bush, taking pictures of animals such as rhino, elephant, and leopard • Help create a photo database for educational purposes • Teach local South Africans about the essence of conservation • Immerse yourself in the local Zulu culture • Make friends for life South Africa Travel Highlights • Game drives in the beautiful Hluhluwe and Umfolozi National Parks • Visits to the beach, and snorkling at Cape Vidal • Whale, dolphin and sea turtle viewing • Deep sea fishing • Sunset cruises on the St. Lucia Estuary • Weekend trips to Kruger National Park or Mozambique » back to top Project Fee Includes • The project fee entails financing that goes directly back into the project that you are involved with. It facilitates funding for items such as educational materials. • Transport between Richards Bay Airport and St. Lucia • Orientation program, including a photography course by an experienced wildlife photographer • All daily transfers to and from your projects during your stay • Full board and lodging, which includes 3 meals a day at our volunteer house • Laundry service during your stay • Assistance at your projects by African Impact staff and volunteer coordinators • Any visits to other African Impact programmes based in St. Lucia Project Fee Excludes • Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement • All transport by air or bus to Richards Bay • All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other) • Email/Internet and telephone calls • Soft drinks, wines and spirits • All visas for border crossings • Any excursions over and above your planned itinerary in St. Lucia » back to top Day in the life... This is a typical day in the life of a volunteer working on the African Wildlife Photography and Conservation Education project: Here is how a typical day in the life of a St Lucia photography volunteer might take shape. Please note that your itineraries may differ from this, depending on your own experience and the number of other volunteers on the placement at the same time, and this is simply to give an example: • 07:00 Get up, eat breakfast, and start getting ready for your project • 08:00 Start your day on the project • 06:30 Start taking photographs of wildlife. You may focus on finding different animals on different days. • 12:00 Lunchbreak. You will be picked up, and taken to your volunteer house, where lunch is waiting for you. • 13.30 Start of your afternoon projects. You may be working on adding your new pictures to the database, or you may go out to a local school or community center to teach people about wildlife, and the essence of conservation • 16.30 End of the working day. You will be picked up from your project and taken home, where we evaluate the day and discuss the schedule for the next day. • 18.30 Dinner at your volunteer house. After dinner, you may wish to go for a few drinks in one of the local bars. » back to top Volunteer Support Throughout your stay at your placement you will have the support and guidance of experienced field-workers and coordinators. They are part of our greater African Impact support team, and will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance. Volunteer Orientation Upon arrival in St. Lucia you will have a comprehensive orientation program, which is included in your fee. This is facilitated by your project volunteer coordinator and entails: • An intensive wildlife photography course by an experienced wildlife photographer • And introduction to St. Lucia and its area • An introduction to all our projects. Not only will you see where you will be working, you will also see where your fellow volunteers will be spending their days. • A basic language course. You will learn some basic words and sentences in Zulu, the local language in St. Lucia, so that you can communicate with people at a basic level in their own language. In addition, you will learn some of the local cultural nuances. • A visit to a rural area, so that you get a good idea of how local people live • At the orientation, you will also receive our detailed ‘welcome pack’, which will contain further useful information for your time with us. » back to top Accommodation During your project, you will stay at our large and comfortable project house. Situated in the middle of St. Lucia, it is a fully furnished house with a large lounge, satellite TV, barbeque area, garden, swimming pool, and a jacuzzi. The house is staffed with cooks and laundry/cleaning ladies. You will be sharing a bedroom with one to four people. Members of our African Impact team will be staying on the same property, so that they are always available to you for any questions or issues you may have. Meals You will be provided with three meals a day. Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis and usually consists of cereals/porridge, toast, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are full meals, and will be cooked for you by one of our chefs at your volunteer house. Note: If you leave early in the morning for your photography project, which is often the best time for good pictures, you will be given a packed breakfast. » back to top Getting There St Lucia, East Coast of South Africa. The nearest airport to St. Lucia is Richards Bay Airport, which is about a forty five minute drive from St. Lucia. You will be picked up from the airport by one of your project managers. » back to top Make an Enquiry Volunteer Project in South Africa - Environmental Awareness & Wildlife Photography Course & Wildlife Safari, St. Lucia Wetland Park     print this page | bookmark this page (CTRL-D) | send to a friend back to top