Selma’s blog

When to go on an Africa expedition

nobody@vox.com(Selma) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:53:39 -0800

Although Pathfinders expeditions run all year round, many of the expeditions we offer are weather-dependent since they take place outdoors. It is therefore useful to plan your expedition around the time of year that is most likely to be best in terms of suitable weather. Below are the main expected weather conditions throughout the year that can be expected in the countries to where we offer expeditions.

When to go to Kenya?

Kenya stretches over the equatorial belt and seasons therefore seem to merge into each other.
September-January: Summer season – Hottest temperatures in September cooling off to January
March-May: Rainy season – Hot tropical thunderstorms – humid days – warm nights
Kenya Expeditions, About Kenya, Kenya Photos

When to go to Tanzania?

Tropical climate with hot and humid weather.
Coastal areas receive rain in December, January, April, May and early June.
Inland, there is one wet season: from November to January
Tanzania Expeditions, About Tanzania, Tanzania Photos

When to go to Uganda?

Summer and winter seasons in Uganda do not have distinct differences.
Dry months: December to late February offers the driest and warmest temperatures.
June – September is dry and pleasantly warm.
Wet months: Generally March – April, and November.
Uganda Expeditions, About Uganda, Uganda Photos

When to go to Mozambique?

The best time of year to go to Mozambique is March-September when you can avoid heavy rainfall and very hot weather.
Rainfall and hottest months are from November – March (most rain falls on Southern region)
Mozambique Expeditions, About Mozambique, Mozambique Photos

When to go to Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe has a tropical inland climate that is dominated by wet and dry seasons. April through to August is generally cooler, with temperature drops in the evening and early mornings. September through to November, is hot and dry, while December until early April has hot, humid and wet weather.
Zimbabwe Expeditions, About Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Photos

When to go to Botswana?

Botswana is an arid bushveld area with large of semi desert. Because of this, weather is generally hot and dry.
November – March: Rainy season - very hot, humid weather with regular afternoon downpours
April-September: Slightly cooler weather with chilly mornings and evenings.
Botswana Expeditions, About Botswana, Botswana Photos

When to go to South Africa?

South Africa has a diverse climate which differs in each region. In the North Eastern region, the climate is typically tropical, i.e. with high temperatures and high humidity levels.
The Cape coastal region has a Mediterranean climate with high temperatures in summer (October-March) and cold and very wet winters (May-August).
Eastern coastal areas such as near Durban experience the wettest months in October and April and experience both high temperatures and high humidity.
Central/Eastern areas around Johannesburg experience warm but rainy summers. Winter sees remarkable drops in temperature during the nights and early mornings. Winter months also have pleasantly low humidity levels.
South Africa Expeditions, About South Africa, South Africa Photos

Article Source: http://www.pathfindersafrica.com/travel-info/when/

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Wildlife Courses Africa

nobody@vox.com(Selma) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:30:48 -0700

Volunteer in Africa | Pathfinders

Pathfinders Africa offers a variety of wildlife courses in Africa. Our wildlife school offers nature conservation courses, field guide courses, wildlife management courses, wildlife photography courses and our most popular: the game ranger course. Africa is waiting for you to experience all she has to offer. We invite you to join us for one of our exciting Africa wildlife courses.

Choose from our range of Africa wildlife courses. From a 10-day introductory course to a 1-year wildlife management course.

Wildlife Conservation Course - Kruger National Park - South Africa

This comprehensive and unique One Year course has been designed to supply the safari industry with high calibre professional Field Guides. However, this course is not only available to people wishing to enter the industry as field guides, but for anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of the African bush.

Wildlife Courses details - Field Guide Training with FGASA in the Kruger Park (One Year) - South Africa

Location	Kruger National Park - South Africa (Bush)
Expedition length	One Year
Age limit	Minimum 17 years, must hold a valid drivers license
Fitness required	Minimum
Expedition fee	£ 8165 US$ 14575 Pricing subject to change due to the currency rate of the day

Wildlife Conservation Course / Field Guide Training with FGASA in the Kruger Park (One Year)

You will gain the in-depth knowledge about nature, ecology and wildlife that is required to become a Field Guide but that is only one aspect of the course. Our course is about absorbing nature, learning how to interact with the environment and tune into the ecosystems. It’s about becoming intertwined with the natural environment that sustains us. The bush is powerful and on course, you start to realize that the clutter of modern society’s trappings becomes less relevant.

There is a mental, emotional and spiritual shift to respect, consideration and sensitivity towards nature and your peers. Along with learning about wildlife and guiding… it is also a cultural interchange for our students. The inter-human benefit of living and learning together in the outdoors for 6 months days tests one’s social and emotional intelligence skills and provides you with a holistic life experience.

It is a bonding experience - in 6 months participants learn about to be a professional field guide, learn about the natural environment, themselves and each other.

You will live and walk amidst the spectacular wildlife of the African bush for one year - for the first half of the year you will live and learn at our camps and for the remainder of the year you will work at a Safari Lodge as a trainee
Training at all 3 camps presents a constantly stimulating environment to learn in – you will be exposed to diverse ecological and geological terrains; landscapes; wildlife species; climates and more.
Our two instructors with many years of guide training experience and time in the bush will also provide different ways of training and guiding which enhances your overall training experience
For parts of the course you will train in our Kruger Camp in the Makuleke concession which is a highlight for all our students. The Makuleke concession is not accessible to the ordinary tourist visiting the park. This area is certainly the wildest and most remote part of the Kruger National Park and offers varied vegetation, great wildlife viewing, the best birding in all of the Kruger National Park and is filled with folklore of the early explorers and ancient civilizations.

Please note that it is very important that you have a valid driver’s license when you attend the course, as driving makes up a large component of the course. EcoTraining reserves the right to stop a student from driving if the instructor feels that he/she is endangering the lives of the other passengers.

Itinerary - Wildlife Conservation Course, Africa

This is an abbreviated course structure and will be presented in more detail in documentation to follow.

1. FGASA Field Guide 1 theory and Practical Assessment

2. Rifle training; driving experience; frogging, lion on telemetry, elephant tracking

3. FGASA Field Guide Level 2 Theory

4. FGASA Trails Guide, Advanced Rifle Handling, View Potentially Dangerous Animals, Trails Guide Theory

5. Tracking course

6. Birding basics and Advanced Birding

7. Wilderness Medicine: Level 1 and Level 2

8. Encounters on foot

9. Navigation and Orientation

In this One Year course, six months of theoretical and practical training with our highly qualified instructors in which you will complete various separate certificate courses should get you well prepared for four months of actual nature guiding at lodges with guests.

We will place you at these lodges so that you can work with experienced guides to learn from them to and to learn on the job so that at the end of the year’s course, you are not only qualified but also experienced. By this time you will be a prime candidate and should e snapped up immediately by a lodge for a guiding job.

This on-the-job component will give you the practical experience and opportunity to use all of your theoretical skills acquired in the first phase of training as well as building up your one year of experience required legally to write your next sequence of field guiding exams.

Adventure activities

The Field Guide Training with FGASA in the Kruger Park (One Year) includes the following adventure activities:

Included in your Wildlife Courses cost

Wondering what is included in your Wildlife Conservation Course tour? Check out the list below.

Accommodation, meals and activities
Entry to Kruger Park (for Makuleke Courses)
All FGASA registration, examination and moderation fees
DEAT registration
SASSETA Competency Certification
Wilderness Medicine Course
Transfers between the camps (excluding transfers to and from the camps before and after time-off)
3 x sets of uniforms (shirts and shorts)
EcoTraining T-shirt, cap and beanie

Excluded from your Wildlife Courses cost

While planning your Field Guide Training with FGASA in the Kruger Park (One Year) trip, take note of the following excludes:

All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing and tips
Flights, visas, travel and medical insurance (please note that emergency air evacuation is essential)
Email and telephone calls during your stay (charged out at cost)
Personal insurance cover for the duration of your placement which is expected to include cover for repatriation

Orientation & arrival

A qualified instructor will brief you upon arrival

Support

Throughout your course, you will have the full support and guidance of our coordinators and professional guides, who will provide you with competent 24-hour field support and assistance.

Accommodation

The sleeping arrangements at all our camps consist of 2 people sharing per tent. Most of the tents are large walk-in safari style tents, with the exception of Selati camp which has smaller 2 man dome tents.

Meals

Meals for the Wildlife Conservation Course Wildlife Courses are as follows:

The day starts off with biscuits, fruit or cereal with tea and coffee at sunrise before the morning activity. A hearty brunch consists of fruit, cereal and a variety of cooked breakfasts. High tea before the afternoon outing consisting of sandwiches and snacks to give you energy for your afternoon activity before returning to camp in the evening for a hot plated dinner of meat, vegetables and salads.

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner

How to get there

There will be transfers from OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) to the designated camp at Kruger National Park. These transfers will take place on the course start and end date.

*Some dates may not be available. If this is the case, your Pathfinders booking agent will confirm transfers for you.

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What to bring for Africa Travel Adventure

nobody@vox.com(Selma) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:00:14 -0700

Volunteer in Africa | Pathfinders

The most useful thing to remember when preparing for our Africa expeditions is to pack light. To do this though, you'll need to know what essentials to bring with you and to help you along, and so we've listed our recommendations below in the form of a packing checklist.

Packing Checklist for Africa Adventure Travel

Please note that this is a generic list that applies to all our trips - we will provide you with more specific pre-departure information for your particular expedition closer to your trip departure.

Very Important Documents

Passport, travel insurance documents and other necessary official documents. Be sure also to bring some certified copies of these that are kept separate from the originals.
Proof of vaccinations and inoculations recommended for the countries you intend to visit

Clothes and everyday items

Sunscreen & lip balm, wide-brimmed hat
Trainers &/or hiking shoes
Sandals
Torch, preferably head torch & batteries
Sunglasses
Glasses (or contacts) and spares just in case
Lightweight waterproof jacket for the rainy season (usually November – April but this depends on the countries you are visiting so check country pre-departure information to confirm this)
Fleece pullover (for nighttime) and a lightweight jumper
Khaki, tan or other neutral-coloured bush wear that is breathable and lightweight (Note: Not with camouflage design)
2 shirts/blouses (long sleeved)
3-4 vests, shirts or T-shirts (short sleeved)
2 pairs trousers
1-2 pairs short and beach shorts for swimming if applicable
Tracksuit pants
Swimsuit plus beach/bath towel
Mosquito & insect repellent
A travel mosquito net - if you plan on sleeping outdoors when the weather is warm of if your expedition accommodation is tented camping.
Water bottle
Binoculars for game viewing
Sleeping bag (medium warmness)
Waterproof & secure bag for documents & money
Daypack containing the following: personal medical kit, binoculars, camera, fleece, sunscreen, and water bottle
A soft kit bag for main packing
Camera with enough film and batteries for the duration of your placement. Electricity will be available at some points along your expedition so you can charge batteries.
US Dollar spending money. If possible, bring currency In small denominations

Other useful items

Notebook and pen
Small sewing kit
Personal medical first aid & hygiene kit
Portable clothes line and pegs
Plastic bags
Pocketknife is handy but not a priority (not in your hand luggage!!)
Diarrhea, headache tablets and antihistamines
iPod/portable music player(our vehicles contain stereos)

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First hatching of Green Turtles recorded in southwest Madagascar as a direct result of conservation

nobody@vox.com(Selma) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:50:31 -0700

Tuesday, 15 July 2008 09:25
Source:http://www.blueventures.org/

July 2008 Lamboara: The first hatching of Green Turtles recorded as a direct result of efforts to protect the species in southwest Madagascar has been witnessed by marine conservationists working for British charity, Blue Ventures Conservation.

In a move unprecedented in southwest Madagascar, residents of the remote village of Lamboara have now voted to protect surrounding beaches, outlawing turtle nest raiding and targeted turtle fishing.

The emergence of 92 live hatchlings marks the success of an awareness-raising campaign launched by Blue Ventures two years ago. This aims to find and protect turtle nests along a 50km stretch of coastline south of Morombe.

“The impact of a small amount of education on the lifecycle and biology of the turtle has been amazing,” says marine biologist Charlotte Gough, campaign co-ordinator. “People here understand their resources are being overexploited, and that they need to do something to preserve them for future generations. The residents themselves put forward the idea of protecting whole beaches during the nesting season.”

Blue Ventures had been working with the community in Lamboara to guard the nest. A local fisherman reported it after hearing about the organisation’s initiative offering a reward for information on nesting activity.

“This is a really important time for me,” says the beach’s guardian, Lamboaran resident Sosy Kadioke. “When I brought the only two dead hatchlings into the village it was the first time people had ever seen baby turtles.”

The Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) is found in the waters off southwest Madagascar. The adults are targeted by fishermen and the nests are usually raided for their eggs. Turtle meat is also eaten and nesting females are often caught and killed after they have laid their eggs.

“We thought there were no turtles nesting here anymore. But saving this nest has prompted the village to help preserve a species,” says Gough. “Our experience of work in this region is that when one village chooses to do something, others follow. Village presidents from elsewhere are already showing an interest in the turtle project.”

It had been feared that the amount of nest raiding and turtle fishing meant that females were no longer able to reproduce effectively in the area, a situation that may have led to the local extinction of the species. Female Green Turtles return to the beach on which they hatched to lay their own eggs.

Last year Blue Ventures’ work with the neighbouring village of Andavadoaka received the United Nations Development Programme’s prestigious Equator Prize for efforts to conserve local biodiversity and alleviate poverty.

Other marine conservation efforts piloted by Blue Ventures in the region include the creation of Madagascar’s first community-based marine protected area network. This initiative is now being used as a blueprint for the creation of 50 further marine reserves in the country, part of an ambitious African Development Bank-funded marine conservation programme.

http://www.pathfindersafrica.com

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