Sabbat­ical Southern Africa: Wildlife Conser­va­tion between Desert and Ocean

The conservation project in Namibia always starts on Mondays. You will arrive at Walvis Bay Airport the weekend before the project starts, at the latest by Sunday noon. From there you will be picked up and taken to the volunteer accommodation in Swakopmund where you will get to know your team as well as the project and its tasks in more detail. Please note: the stay in the volunteer accommodation in Swakopmund is not included in the price.

The actual project finally starts on Monday morning at 11:00 AM. After running a few last errands, you will set off together to your base camp near your project site. Here you will dedicate yourself to the construction of protective structures and other structural measures during the coming five-day "Building Week". There will always be a break during the midday hours to escape the blazing sun and enjoy some refreshments.

The "Building Week" ends on Friday after which the project will take a break until Monday. You and the others can use the free time to gather strength and enjoy the wonderful nature.

Finally, after the project break, the so-called "Patrol Week" begins on Monday morning. The purpose of this week is to explore the desert elephants of the region and to make important observations about their behaviour, population development and movement patterns. For this purpose, you will track the animals in an open off-road vehicle and carry the necessary equipment with you.

After the total of almost two weeks (12 days) of Building and Patrol Week, the project either pauses or ends. Depending on the duration of your stay, you can spend a free weekend before the project starts again on Monday with the Building Week, or you can return to Swakopmund.

After your last five-day "Patrol Week", the conservation project in Namibia will finally end on Friday at 02:00 PM. Together with the other participants, you will drive back to Swakopmund to continue your journey to the Seychelles. Beforehand, there will be an optional farewell dinner – a nice opportunity to end your sabbatical as a conservation volunteer in a convivial atmosphere.

If there is still some transition time between the two projects, it is up to you how you spend this time: you can stay a few more days in Namibia to get to know the country and its people or travel to the Seychelles already.

Our team will be happy to advise you and help you organise your transition period. Please note, however, that this is not included in the project price and that accommodation, excursions, meals, etc. must be booked separately and on your own responsibility.

To start the Seychelles project in a relaxed way, you should book your flight so that you arrive at the airport on Mahé one day before the start of the project. A driver will then take you to your separately booked accommodation near the airport and provide you with initial information about the day ahead.

The next morning you will be picked up and taken to the ferry to North Island together with other volunteers. If you have decided to arrive in the Seychelles on the morning of the start of the project, you will also be picked up at the airport. Once on the ferry, you can expect a 30 to 60-minute ride to North Island.

Together with one of the leaders, you will do your first beach patrol on your first morning in the project, picking up washed up rubbish together with the other participants while you search the beaches of the island for traces of sea turtles. Your two project leaders will explain what to do if you find tracks or even a turtle. After the beach patrol is completed, you will be explained the other work depending on the day's needs.

From then on, your days will go as follows: Every morning you start your day with breakfast, which is served in the canteen at around 07:30 AM. After some bread, yoghurt and fruit, you start directly with the beach patrol, on which another volunteer will accompany you. While you check the beaches on the east side of the island, the other two participants take on the west side.

Once the beaches have been checked, you meet the other participants at the house and then go to the North Island nursery. Here you plant seedlings in planting bags and place them in the greenhouse where you have to water them daily. After completing the tasks, lunch is already waiting for you in the canteen.

During the subsequent lunch break, you have time to relax in the volunteer house. Then you grab your snorkelling equipment and the waterproof fish identification card and off you go to the beach. While snorkelling, it is your job to take pictures of the fish living in the reef. The pictures are later entered into a computer system to monitor how the fish population is developing in the island's coral reefs. The late afternoon is usually free. As always, dinner is served in the canteen.

If turtle tracks are found during the beach patrol, but there is no evidence of egg-laying, you and your team must go on a night patrol in the late evening to observe the turtle possibly coming back to the beach. This activity is considered an absolute highlight, as it gives you the rare opportunity to encounter a sea turtle on land. After this nightly beach patrol, it's time for bed, as the next day starts early again.

On the day of your departure, your morning starts as usual. After breakfast, you go on turtle patrol one last time. After your bags are packed, you make your way back to the boat that will take you back to the mainland. A driver will be waiting to take you to your chosen accommodation or directly to the airport, from where you can continue your journey or fly back home.