Natucate
EcoQuest Africa – Melanie
Melanie travelled to Southern Africa to immerse herself into the fascinating flora and fauna of South Africa and Botswana as part of our EcoQuest course. Learn more about her time.
Profile
Name: Melanie
Age: 20
Project: EcoQuest course
Locations: Makuleke/South Africa and Mashatu/Botswana
Duration: Beginning until mid-November 2018 – 2 weeks
Rating
Support through the Natucate team:
Arrival:
Partner on site:
Accommodation:
EcoQuest in Southern Africa – Feedback: Eight questions for Melanie
1) Could you give us a short overview of your tasks in the course?
- daily safaris and bushwalks
- theory lessons on the topics: wildlife management, tracking, flora and fauna
- picknicks at breathtaking locations
2) What were the biggest challenges for you during the course?
the length of the day (getting up very early, going to bed quite late)
3) Was there anything you liked in particular? Or something that you remember particularly negatively?
I really liked the atmosphere between the participants and course leaders. It felt like we were a family
4) Did you have certain expectations before you travelled to the course?
I didn’t have certain expectations except that I wanted to learn more about the African bush – which I did
5) Have you done anything in your free time that you can recommend to future participants?
I sat down at the edge of the camp and enjoyed the tranquility. I think nowadays you rarely experience moments in which you are so secluded and can really “switch off”
6) What recommendations would you give to other participants?
- I bough the recommended books before but never used them during the course. I figured they are rather useful after coming back home to keep up the knowledge
- most important recommendation: the fewer expectations you have, the better it gets (especially when it comes to animal sightings)
7) Can you estimate how many additional costs you had on site?
approx. 50 euros + 25 euros for the SIM card
8) Here is still space for other suggestions or reports from you:
Before taking part in the course, I’ve never been to Africa and knew most of the animals only from TV or zoo. Seeing the African bush with my own eyes and learning about it from skilled game rangers is an experience I will never forget.
