Well since university I have known about FGASA - the Field Guides Association of South Africa, the only internationally recognised qualification for those wishing to work as field guides and game rangers in dangerous wildlife areas.
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I had read up about the short courses offered by many gap year companies - usually consisting of a 6 - 10 week placement in which you cover the basic requirements to become a FGASA Level one nature guide.
Since visiting Shamwari Game Reserve in my first year of uni I always thought I'd end up going back there to do such a course. So why have I settled on Ulovane Environmental Training?
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| My first trip to South Africa saw me visit Shamwari Game Reserve for a two week volunteer programme organised through Sparsholt College where I completed my degree in Animal Management. |
The answer - because they are quite simply the BEST! Not my own words but those of the countless field guides, wildlife vets and reserve managers I have spoken to in the last year who have all echoed the sentiment that UET offer the most substantial and thorough training out there. Once I had started looking into their courses I quickly saw that they did indeed have more to offer than many of the other FGASA training providers spread throughout SA.
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| The lecture room at Ulovane Environmental Training. |
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I was lucky enough on my most recent trip to South Africa in August of this year to meet Schalk Pretorius, the co-owner and lead trainer at UET one day when he was visiting Kariega Game Reserve with a group of students on a birding field trip. The chance to meet and speak with Schalk was fantastic (thanks Azel!) and it helped to cement in my mind that a FGASA training course was what I wanted to do. Moreover since returning to the UK and analysing all the available options I have settled on Ulovane because, like so many had told me, they look like the best on offer!
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| Photographs are the property of their respective owners. |
The most apparent thing that sets UET apart is their location, quite unlike the majority of companies which operate in the Northern reserves or the Kruger National Park and the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumulanga, UET are based in the Eastern Cape (an area I have visited twice before, firstly at Shamwari Game Reserve on a uni trip and most recently in August of this year on a conservation volunteer programme at Kariega Game Reserve) and are ideally situated to offer a range of courses both on land (nature guiding and trails guiding) as well as at sea and on the shore (marine guiding and birding courses). The really special thing about their delivery is the way they combine major courses into one extended one year or two year course, coupled with an extended work placement.
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I have opted for the one year FGASA nature, marine and back-up trails guide course. This means that in the space of a 6 month training period I will complete the following courses;
FGASA level one nature guiding - the minimum requirement to operate a game-viewer (safari truck) in big 5 areas with guest.
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FGASA level one marine guiding - assisting on whale watching, deep-sea fishing, birding and river-boat tours.
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FGASA back-up trails guiding - the minimum requirement to walk with guests on foot in dangerous game areas as a second ranger assisting the lead trails guide. This is the bit I'm really looking forward to as it brings together all the skills and experience of dealing with wildlife, firearms and tracking and places you in a situation which requires the utmost concentration and skill to ensure good sightings with no detriment to the wildlife and no danger to your guests!
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Accompanying these three FGASA courses are a number of short courses required before you can pass the FGASA exams;
4x4 off-road driving skills course - Anyone who knows me even a little should know I LOVE trucks so the chance to drive Land Rovers and Land Cruisers off-road was always going to make me happy!
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| Me driving the Land Cruiser at Kariega Game Reserve - so happy!!! |
CATHSSETA Advanced Rifle Handling course - A week long firearms course in which you train to become proficient in the use of high calibre rifles, pump action shotguns and .375 Magnum side-arms. These are the three most widely used firearms in South Africa for a variety of purposes. When I was at Shamwari we had the chance to spend a day on the firing range shooting high calibre rifles and pump-action shotguns and were told that when guiding the rifle is there to protect against wildlife and when on APP (Anti-poaching patrols) the shotgun is there to ward off poachers!
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Wilderness emergency first aid course - Again another course I'm really looking forward to. I don't know the entire syllabus for this yet but I know it has elements of dealing with major trauma, snakebite / scorpion envenomation, broken limbs etc etc.
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Tracking skills specialisation - Looking at the various methods and ways to interpret animal tracks and signs and being able to differentiate between fresh and old spoor / scat etc. I imagine this is one of the hardest elements of the course and something that takes real time and patience to hone your skills in.
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I know from previous years some of the places visited and trails walked on include;
Greater Kruger National Park
Shamwari Game Reserve - 4 day trail
Kariega Game Reserve
Kwande Predator Camp
Addo National Elephant Park
Amakhala Game Reserve - this is the reserve where UET are based, their camp is within the reserve and the day-to-day training occurs on this magnificent reserve. Amakhala is a Big 5 reserve, meaning that is holds African elephant, black rhinoceros, lion, leopard and Cape buffalo. It is also home to many other predators and herbivores such as cheetah, brown hyena, caracal, black-backed jackal, serval, genet, hippopotamus, giraffe, zebra, white rhinoceros etc etc. From the research I've done Amakhala seems to offer all of the species to be found at neighbouring Shamwari (the largest reserve in the Eastern Cape) as well as some others unique to this special place such as the cheetah.
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I think it's fair to say there are enough animals with big teeth and big hooves to keep me entertained for the year! Those who know me well know I have a passion for larger predators and large hoof-stock however in recent years I have become fascinated by many of the smaller mammals along with reptiles and amphibians and I am especially looking forward to looking beyond the obvious and seeing the smaller more elusive creatures. I know as well that the trainers are especially good birders and so, whilst I cannot claim to have much knowledge on birds, I am hoping this is an area which will grow in interest on me and am looking forward to learning more about the vast wealth of birds living in Southern Africa.
The second 6 months of the year take place at an institution of our choice (in conjunction with our trainers) and can consist of an internship at a private reserve as a field guide, assisting as a reserve manager, helping out a research team, working with an anti-poaching unit, working in game capture etc etc. The choice appears limitless and whilst I would love to do all of the above I haven't decided yet and nor do I intend to until later on in the year - I'm hoping that a natural choice will emerge whilst on the course and I find something that I take a real liking to. The exciting, and also slightly daunting, prospect is that this placement can occur anywhere in Africa - previous students have ended up in Kenya on the Masai Mara, Namibia in the Kalahari desert, in Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia - the choices abound.Whilst I think at the moment I will be happy to stay put in South Africa we will have to wait and see!
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So that explains a little more about the course I am enrolled on and how it all came about - I urge you all to check out Ulovane Environmental Training (you never know, it could be the career change or adventure you are looking for!).
http://www.ulovane.co.za/
Back to sorting and preparations I go.
33 days and counting!
:D
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