Nature Conservation Assistance

About the volunteer programme

This programme is important because you not only help us collect valuable data or help us pass on the importance of conservation to the younger generation, but you help us keep going with all of our different projects. This is not going to be your usual 9 to 5! Working hours can be long, often flexible, but plenty of fun. There’s lots of getting stuck in and being hands-on whether it’s building sand castles with the kids at our holiday programme or catching fish for estuary surveys. We also like to give you a personal project to call your own if we can, so we’ll talk through the options with you when you arrive so it can be tailored towards your interests and expertise; there’s always plenty to do!

Some of the social issue we face in the area involves the relationship between our local communities and their surrounding environment as well as the issue of sharing our environment in a way that both people and wildlife can enjoy it. Ways in which we try approach these issues to work with the communities and educate them on how the environment can benefit them if they take care of it. We create eco-clubs with various schools in the area and take the kids out into the different ecosystems and teach them about it. Our research projects are focused on different areas such as our coastline, estuary systems and fynbos (plant) ecosystems. All the data we collect from our research is used to help implement management plans working with the local municipalities and in some instances the government.

We have two areas that you can focus on during your time with us: Conservation Education and/or Research Ecology, or a mix of the two.

As a Conservation Education volunteer you’ll engage with a wide range of stakeholders, from the local community to conservation professionals. Our community programmes are award-winning, with over 5000 participants per year, making them an ideal way to get the inside scoop on conservation education. Typical activities you’ll help with are facilitation of school groups, helping out at events, environmental calendar days, research support for updating environmental education resources, general administration assistance and planning and preparation of outdoor activities for eco clubs and school camps, community projects and events.

As a Research Ecology Volunteer you’ll work alongside acclaimed biologists who are well published professionals with decades of experience doing conservation based research in Africa. You’ll work on the important long term ecological projects we run in the region. Over a relatively short period of time you’ll be exposed to conservation based research in several different biomes and habitat types including beach, estuary, river, fynbos, forest and even urban areas. We work on a range of systems and study plants, insects, mammals and birds, giving volunteers a range of different wildlife experiences.

As a general rule volunteers can normally expect to work from 08.30-16.00, Monday-Friday. However, some projects do require a bit extra now and again or unusual hours (you’ll need to be at our bird ringing sessions at 05.30!).

Location and surroundings

The house that NVT rents for its volunteers is based in Nature's Valley and is 1km away from the office and 1km from the local village shop and restaurant. The Valley is surrounded by the Tsitsikamma National Park with mountains on three sides and a beautiful beach. The beach and all of the hiking trails in Nature's Valley are walking distance from the house. 

Nature's Valley is 35km Plettenberg Bay which is the closest town and where we go to do our weekly shop. Plettenberg Bay a lovely town with beautiful beaches, a number of very nice restaurants and a shopping mall with all the necessary shops. The general area around Natures Valley offers some fun outdoor activities including hiking, kloofing, canoeing, bungee jumping, sky diving and much more.

What should you bring along?

All equipment you would need for field work will be provided by NVT but a few handy things to bring along (apart for the usual like clothes etc) would be

1. Binoculars (if you are a keen birder)
2. Camera
3. Laptop (some data entry will be required and handy to have one with you)
4. Water bottle
5. Sunscreen (at least 30 SPF) 
6. Hat

What can volunteers expect from NVT?

Here at NVT we want you to have a most enjoyable and comfortable experience and we will therefore treat you as one of the family. You will be working with a team of dedicated individuals who have a passion for the environment and the work NVT does. We will provide you with all the necessary things you need for each of the projects, teach you different field techniques and one on one mentoring to insure you get everything out of your time with us. There will also be two members of the team available for you to talk to whenever you need someone. Most of all we want you to have fun while you are with us while you get down, dirty and hands-on working in the conservation field.

A typical day for a Conservation Education volunteer would involve updating lesson plans for outdoor classrooms to ensure they are kept up-to-date with what is happening in the area, and what the schools are teaching learners. Once lessons plans are update you would then ensure all the material is ready and transport arrange to bring the school learners to the beach or river where they will be having the lesson. Once all the planning has been done, you will then assist with the lesson and get involved in all the activities with the learners. Part of the day could also involve developing some material for our different social media platforms.

Volunteers can join NVT throughout the year.

The Garden Route offers a wide range of outdoor activities which allow you to explore nature. These activities range from having a relaxed sightseeing trip to doing something a bit more extreme and adventurous. These are good outings to do on your weekends. After work you can always head to the estuary for a swim or go and relax on the beach.

If you are looking for a more relaxed day out there are a large number of hiking trails in the area. Hiking trails in Nature's Valley include the Groot River, Kalander Kloof and Salt River hikes. In Plettenberg Bay you can do the Robberg Nature Reserve hike which has three different loops of different lengths and has beautiful views and lovely beach. Other hiking trails can be found in Harkerville, Knysna, Wilderness and Storms River.

If you are looking to something more adventurous and with a bit of an extreme element there are a number of activities available in the area. Some of these activities include, the world's highest bridge bungee jump, zip-lining in the forest canopy or among waterfalls, sky-diving, canoeing, black water tubing, surfing and kloofing.

There are also a few national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the area. These include the Garden Route National Park (divided into three sections, Wilderness, Knysna and the Tsitsikamma) and Addo Elephant National Park, Birds of Eden, Monkeyland, Lawnwood Snake Sanctuary and Radical Raptors.