Eco-Awareness Course

Seven-night Eco-Awareness Course

Transfrontiers Wildlife Walking Safaris & Natural Exposure partner to offer a basic “life-in-the-bush” and basic ranger skills course. From identifying trees and learning how to track to cooking bread underground and using the stars to navigate your way through the bush–our Eco-Awareness Course is a participatory bush experience!

Monday – Day One
Arrival, Orientation & Introduction to the Southern Hemisphere Constellations

You will be picked up between 5 and 6 am from your selected hotel in JNB/PTA for your transfer down to the Kruger National Park. The journey will take approximately 5 to 6 hours with some short stops on the way. We will meet at a lovely bush pub on the Timbavati Road just before lunchtime. After signing the indemnity forms we will have lunch together and then head out in the open game drive vehicle to Madach Tented Camp, where you will spend your next week. In the afternoon we will do a walk/drive combination introducing the principles of guiding and 4X4 driving, a night drive will bring us back to camp, where dinner will be served.

Tuesday – Day Two
Animal Behaviour and Tracking
In the mornings we set off at first light after a snack breakfast of rusks and coffee or tea. Enjoying the cool morning air we may walk directly from camp or else use a vehicle to get further out. Your guides will decipher the tracks and signs left by the passing animals during the night. The thrill of walking, tracking and getting up close to one of the creatures of the bush is an unforgettable experience. On the walks there is a lot of emphasis on all the interesting things seen such as trees, plants, insects and birds. A big breakfast is prepared back in camp.

After breakfast you will attend the first lecture about animal behaviour and then there is time to unwind and siesta during the heat of the day. After lunch is served it is time to head out again to focus on what have been discussed in the morning lecture.

The afternoon activity is a walk/ drive combination. After the walk we drive to a beautiful spot in the Reserve, where we’ll have sundowners while waiting for a stunning African Sunset. As the diurnal animals and birds anxiously get ready for bed, the stage and sounds change and a whole new world awakens. This is when we connect the spotlight and night drive back to camp, looking for the nocturnal creatures that are so rarely seen during the day. Back in camp a hearty supper and a warm campfire will be waiting for you. After a long day in the bush there is nothing more rewarding then to sneak off to bed and listen to the sounds of the night under a blanket of the overwhelming African stars!

Wednesday – Day Three
Bird Identification & Behavior
As the sun rise we will head out for an early walk focusing on birds and birds behaviour, always ready to grab every opportunity to learn something new about the life surrounding us. Back to camp an energetic breakfast will be served followed by a lecture about what we started to learn in the morning regarding birds, identification and behavour.

A bit of time to rest and then we will be sitting for lunch just before getting ready for another safari either on foot or by car. A night drive will bring us back to camp where supper will be ready and a warm campfire will wait for us.

Thursday – Day Four
Plant Identification & their Cultural, Medicinal, and Environmental Roles
The schedule will be the same of the day before and the lecture will be concerning plants, their identification, their uses and the role they play in the environment. Learn how to treat various medical conditions out in the bush as local residents have done for decades. Learn how to use your guidebook or tree book to identify plants and trees. Explore the bush and learn how each tree is linked to all levels of the environment, how the bush communicates on all levels.

Friday – Day Five
Tracks, Signs, and Approaching Potentially Dangerous Game
The schedule will be the same of the day before and the lecture will be concerning tracks, signs and how to approach potentially dangerous game.

Saturday – Day Six
Survival and Navigation
The schedule will be the same as the day before and the lecture will be focused on survival and navigation. How do you find water in the middle of the bush? Learn how to identify which plants are edible, start a fire, and make rope or twine with “bush supplies”. Learn how to use the stars and other natural phenomenon to navigate your way through the bush.

Sunday – Day Seven
Preparing Meals in the Bush
The schedule will be the same of the day before and the lecture will revolve around the preparation of a bush dinner on the fire. We will the go out after dinner for a lecture about stars (weather depending). Learn to make delicious meals with as little supplies as possible in your outdoor kitchen. Create and use an underground oven to make fresh bread and braai dinner over an open fire.

Monday – Day Eight
Wrap Up & Departure
Wrapping up and putting your skills to the test! On the last day you will still go out for one last walk or drive. Sniffing the typical scents of the bush you’ll realize how much you’ve learned already! After breakfast it’s time to pack up and go back to the bush pub, where you will pay the Conservation Fee and the drinks you’ve consumed in our camps. A certificate will be issued to all participants on completion of the safari. Then it’s time to say our goodbyes and transfer you back to JNB/PTA, where we can drop you off at the same hotel or at ORT International.