stratagème

The only qualification you need is to have a keen interest in the natural environment. All courses are designed for anyone to give them a better understanding of nature.

The Wildlife Monitoring courses have a scientific element and there will be a focus on monitoring of wildlife with more science-based skills taught. You will gain many skills ranging from basic level to more advanced professional skills such as mapping data collection sites with QGIS software.

The Nature Immersion courses are more based around useful skills in nature such as rope making from bark, tracking wildlife, foraging, building a dry wall from stone etc.

The courses have a set capacity (for staffing numbers and safety) and therefore are limited in size. In terms of other participants, the only thing we can guarantee is that you will all have/develop a shared love for nature. For those who are a bit nervous about meeting new people, our staff are very friendly and before you know it you will be getting stuck in and forget all your fears. If you are really worried you can always sign up with a friend. These courses are a chance to make new friends and build life long friendships through shared experiences.

Misbehaviour on the course is a serious issue as it can often put others at risk and in harms way, therefore it is taken very seriously. Staff will try all reasonable ways to control any misbehaviour and keep participants on the course. Staff create written reports of any misbehaviour incident and if the incident is serious it is sent to parents/guardians. If necessary, and if the individual continues to put others at risk, they will be sent home at an extra cost to the participant and with no refund for the course.

The food is, as much as possible, organic and locally sourced. With daily physical activities, we provide a hearty breakfast with slow burning energy foods such as porridge, muesli and fruits. Lunch can be made up of rice, pasta, potato and lentil salads, always accompanied with bread, vegies and fruits. We serve a wholesome dinner that is filling including dessert. All dietary requirements for participants need to be made available on the booking form to give our team time to create a delicious meal plan that incorporates these dietary needs.

Sommières is close to both Nîmes and Montpellier, which are both serviced by international airports (Easyjet, Ryanair, British airways). A staff member will be at the airport arrivals to meet and collect participants. The staff member will help students onto the correct bus and take the short bus ride with them to Sommières and to the secure campsite for the arrival brief. Staff members will go with participants to the airport for departures as well. Each course has recommended flights for you to book allowing participants to arrive as close together as possible.

Depending on which course they are on will depend on the activity range.

On Wildlife Monitoring courses, participants will be using the varying methods they might expect to be using in future conservation careers to monitor wildlife (camera traps, spoor traps, reptile refugia, bird and vegetation point transects, bird and vegetation line transects, water sampling and invertebrate identification, GPS, data input, experiment design principles, basic statistics, star gazing).

On Nature Immersion courses participants conduct physical activities in nature designed to enhance the senses and get kids stuck in activities including permaculture gardening, ordinant survey and orientation, bushcraft, archery, camouflage, animal hide birding/animal watching, night walks, star gazing, adventure activities with local providers, local skills (stone walling, basket weaving, pottery, etc). Discussion groups are designed to provoke a deeper thinking about the environment and our (humanities) role in it.

All staff are first aid certified (always with a basic first aid kit available) also having direct communication with the emergency services in case of any major emergencies. The activity site is located with vehicle access in case of emergency. The camp where the project will be domiciled is secure and has emergency procedures which are explained to all participants upon arrival.

To try and sever the connection with the digital world, we try and have participants on their phones as little as possible. Staff keep participants’ phones in a locked safe, however there are designated times throughout the day that participants can have access to their phones (most notably in the evening) to contact loved ones – these times will be given to all parents so they can make sure to be available at the correct times if they wish. In case of emergency the parents will be contacted. If a message needs to be passed onto a participant that is possible at any hour through staff (the staff are reachable 24hrs). From our experience, however, we recommend keeping distance. This will help the participant fully immerse themselves into the course and there is less chance for them to experience homesickness.

The accommodation is set in our camp just outside Sommières in a secure and beautiful area. Participants share a sizeable, comfortable safari tent with another participant. Each person is provided an individual roll mat, linen, duvet cover and pillow, a solar light and a mosquito net. Meals are prepared in our camping spot by participants and staff together, with meals taken together on the communal area.