Location
St. Lucia is situated within the iSimangaliso 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. It is within this impressive setting that we offe
r you the opportunity to photograph the phenomenal wildlife in the area, and to help raise awareness in the local community about the importance of conservation.
About the project
In order to preserve indigenous plant life 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, this project aims to create a database which will be used 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. 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 conservation efforts.
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 giving classes and workshops about the reason for, and methods of conservation. You will also, along with a conservation education syllabus, use our photography database to do this. In addition, you may take local school children and orphans into the bush on field trips. By experiencing the World Heritage Site and its wildlife for themselves, the children will learn to appreciate the area they live in, and get a better understanding of why these efforts are being made. It will also provide them with a fun and relaxing day out; something they don't experience often!
Project Highlights
- Improve your photography skills through a course taught by an experienced wildlife photographer
- Spend many hours in the bush, taking pictures of animals such as rhino, elephant, and possibly even leopard
- Help to create a photo database for awareness and educational purposes
- Teach local South Africans about the importance of conservation
- Get involved in local conservation projects
- Immerse yourself in the local Zulu culture
- Make friends for life
Project Orientation
Upon arrival in St. Lucia you will have a comprehensive orientation programme, which is included in your fee. This is facilitated by your project volunteer coordinator and includes:
- A 3-day wildlife photography course taught by an experienced wildlife photographer
- Overview of the aims of the project and your role
- An introduction to St. Lucia and the surrounding 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
- At the orientation, you will also receive and be talked through our detailed "Welcome Pack", which contains further useful information for your time with us and is available for you to read at any time
A typical day in St. Lucia:
Here is how a typical day in the life of a St. Lucia photography project volunteer might take shape. Please note that your itineraries may differ, depending on your own experience and the number of other volunteers on the placement at the same time; this is simply to give an example:
- 07:00 - Get up, eat breakfast, and start getting ready to depart for your project*
- 08:30 - Head off to the photography area for that day and start taking photographs of wildlife. You may focus on finding different animals on different days
- 12:00 - Lunch break. You will be picked up, and taken to your volunteer house, where lunch will be waiting for you
- 14.00 - Start of your afternoon projects. You may be working on adding your new pictures to the database, or you may work on a conservation activity with local children
- 16.30 - End of the working day*. You will be picked up from your project and taken home, where you will evaluate the day with fellow volunteers and project coordinators, and discuss the schedule for the next day
- 18.00 - Dinner at your volunteer house. After dinner, you may wish to go for a few drinks in one of the local bars
*Morning times and end of day times do vary depending on where you are visiting and best conditions for taking photographs, for instance if you are going on a day game drive you will start much earlier e.g. 05:00 am
Project 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.
Accommodation
During your placement, 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 television, barbeque area, garden, and a swimming pool. The house is staffed with cooks and laundry / cleaning ladies. All bedding is provided, so you will not need to bring a sleeping bag with you, although sometimes it is useful in the colder months (June - September). 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 assist you with any questions or issues you may have.
Project Meals
You will be provided with three meals a day except Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch. Our cook has Saturday evening and Sunday lunchtime off so we invite volunteers to try the local restaurants for dinner and there is a small supermarket and cafe available for lunch. Dinner costs around GB£ 5 - 7 so is very reasonably priced. Please allow for this in your budget. Breakfast is on a help-yourself basis and usually consists of cereals, toast, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are full meals, and will be cooked for you by our cook at the volunteer house.
Weekend Highlights
- Game drives in the beautiful Hluhluwe and Umfolozi National Parks
- Visits to the beach, and snorkelling at Cape Vidal
- Whale, dolphin, and sea turtle viewing
- Hippo and crocodile cruises on the St. Lucia Estuary
- Weekend trips to the stunning Phinda Private Game Reserve, Kosi Bay, Kruger National Park or Mozambique
(Please note these are not included in your volunteering fee)
Minimum requirements
For this project, enthusiasm for photography is essential. Photographic knowledge and experience is helpful, but not necessary. Volunteers will need to bring their own photographic equipment as a minimum they should bring an SLR digital camera with 18-55 mm lense, battery charger and 2GB memory card. Further requirments:
- Min age 18 - Max age 80
- Basic English
- Good physical fitness
- Full travel & medical insurance
- Immunizations (please consult your doctor)
Additional information
Frequently asked questions
Volunteer logs and vidoes
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