We offer two courses run in small groups to maximize learning potential. Participants will focus on building a connection, understanding and appreciation for nature.
Our Nature Immersion Course provides a fun approach with bush crafts, farming and games, our Wildlife Monitoring Course offers a more scientific approach, with development of skills, knowledge and practical experience in order to better prepare for a professional future in conservation and ecology.
All activities are conducted by conservationists with some external licensed experts (bat survey, water monitoring, dry-walling, pottery). All field activities are led by the project manager who has over 5 years’ experience running similar projects globally, with the manager slotting into a supportive role when external experts are brought in to lead certain activities.
Project participants will be accompanied at all times by a first aid trained member of staff.
WILDLIFE MONITORING COURSE
A rounded program aimed at providing :
- Field experience : using wildlife monitoring techniques participants would likely face in conservation careers.
- Theoretical knowledge : theory of techniques, where and when each technique can be applied, pros and cons, errors and limits.
- Scientific questioning : how to choose a question, how to answer with the data collected using different techniques, basic statistics used with the varying data sets different techniques will produce.
- Application : applying all techniques learned in a practical conservation exercise (Phase I habitat survey), working to protect the local NATURA 2000 site with a 2-3 day end of course mini project.
- Scientific community : submitting data to citizen science projects and discussing the importance of long term data sets.
Range of activities conducted by the project include camera trapping, spoor trapping, water sampling and analysis, invertebrate surveys, point surveys and line transect surveys, vegetation surveys, reptile surveys, amphibian surveys, bat surveys, night spotlight surveys, mapping of study site using QGIS software, data set management and data entry, stargazing.
Participants will gain a host of other practical experiences such as the detailed application of GPS. Participants will get the right balance of down time and there will be organised activities/excursions to make the most of the amazing surroundings.
NATURE IMMERSION COURSE
All field activities are designed to get participants out in nature, using their hands, senses and bodies to engage with the natural environment and improve their reading of the natural world. Each day is themed and discussion sessions are aimed at being thought provoking, getting participants to think about the future and what impacts they want to have.
The activities that we conduct are combined with discussion groups and include:
- Bush craft (traditional fire lighting, making twine, finding water, treating wounds, knot making). Discussion group topic: fire and water issues, future projections – particularly looking at the course location as these issues affect this area severely.
- Tracking (spoor ID, trap making, fishing, reading the signs). Discussion group topic: tracking, its past use, its use in modern society, the importance of reading the environment.
- Foraging (edible plants, berries, animals – actual taking from the environment is limited so as not to damage sensitive species). Discussion group topics: sustainability, problems and solutions, sustainable certifications, greenwashing and how to avoid it.
- Permaculture (helping design a section on our partner permaculture garden). Discussion group topics : current farming practices, farming techniques, impacts and solutions, seasonality, globalisation.
- Mapping survey and navigation (Traditional ways of navigating, also using a compass and map and a GPS). Discussion group topics : importance of mapping in a modern age.
- Birding and wildlife monitoring (bird walk with binoculars to identify birds and all animals on the trip – a bush walk with focus, putting out camera traps). Discussion group topics : biodiversity declines globally, ecosystem services, importance of biodiversity, keystone species, how to help.
- Traditional skills (dry-walling, weaving, pottery, etc). Discussion group topics : traditional knowledge, different ways of living, traditions and their connection with nature.
- Stargazing and traditional stories – with binoculars and a telescope
- Night walk with flashlight – a chance to see the nocturnal animals such as owls, wild bore and amphibians.
Participants will get the right balance of down time and there will be organised activities/excursions to make the most of the amazing surroundings.