This is our well-known comprehensive Field Guide training aimed at those wishing to follow a career in ecotourism as a field guide or for those people passionate about nature who would like a more in-depth experience and understanding of it. Developed in 1993 and the first of its kind in the safari industry, it is recognised by leading safari game lodges.

Who can do this course? Anyone!

EcoTraining offers courses which have been designed to supply the South African safari  industry with high caliber       professional Field Guides.  These courses are available to people  wishing to enter the industry as field guides, but also for anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of the African bush.  EcoTraining is expanding to Australia  and has launched this course in Kenya. So whether you’ve chosen a professional   career linked to wildlife or nature or just finished school and are on your gap year, or if you’ve possibly taken a career break or are a regular traveller to the bush, this course is for you.
 
The course is structured to maximize the practical experience of our learners in the bush.  Each day allows for hours of time spent in the field interpreting the ecology and enjoying a wildlife experience.  Activities alternate between walks and driving. Lecture time follows after brunch, which involves topical instruction (lectures) and discussion on the subject of the day. This is followed by time for self study for the learners. Learner participation in the care of the camp, equipment and vehicle will be expected. Learners will be expected to pay attention to the needs of fellow learners and to work in teams at times.

Course Location — Rukinga Tsavo

Our signature Field Guide Course consists of 28 adventure packed days living in and learning about nature and ecology from our wilderness camp in Kenya.  During your stay with us you will take part in a variety of learning activities whilst driving and walking in some of the most stunning areas of Africa.
Driving and walking will comprise the backbone of your training activities but any stay in Kenya would not be complete without experiencing the Tsavo Elephants and Lions. 

Tsavo is famous worldwide for the “man eating and mane less” lions and Kenya for the Massai Mara and so it should be, as there are few other places able to offer such wildlife intensity.  Many people who have been to Africa numerous times come to the Kenya for its wildlife

The Tsavo ecosystem is an area of 43,000 km2 and is one of the largest and most important wildlife refuges in Africa. The core of this area is formed by Tsavo East and West National Parks, which together occupy approximately 21,000 km2, and the Mkomazi Game Reserve which occupies about 5,000 km2 in Tanzania. The vast area adjoining the southern arms of Tsavo East and West comprises privately owned plots of land that are mainly utilised for livestock grazing or limited agriculture. The exception to this is Rukinga Sanctuary, an 80,000 acre area of land that is managed by Wildlife Works for the benefit of wildlife. Camp Tsavo is situated in the centre of Rukinga Sanctuary and is where our camp is based. The camp is set out like a traditional African village and surrounded by endless views of the African Bush.

This ecosystem is home to a large diversity of flora and fauna, many species of which are classified by IUCN (the World Conservation Union) as vulnerable, threatened or endangered, and boasts a large population of predators, especially lions. Rukinga Sanctuary forms part of a vital wildlife corridor (Tsavo Kasigau Wildlife corridor, TKWD) across the ‘Taru desert’ for a population of almost one thousand elephants and hundreds of buffalo that migrate seasonally between the Parks in search of water, temporarily giving Rukinga one of the largest populations of elephants on private land in Kenya.

The total human population in the area bordering Rukinga is approaching 12,000 individuals of whom the vast majority are subsistence farmers. In the past Camp Tsavo has worked with six villages: Bungule, Jora, Rukanga, Kiteghe, Makwasinyi and Kisimenyii. Sasenyi village also borders the sanctuary and is the closest village to Camp Tsavo, only 13 km away (30 minutes by road through the sanctuary).

Historically this area has been too harsh for people to exploit and so people only started settling here over the last century. Local indigenous people offer a wealth of rich and diverse cultures and traditions. Tribes include the Wakamba, Wataita, Masai, and the Waliangulu.

Accommodation -  Camp Tsavo

Camp Tsavo is a permanent bush camp in the centre of Rukinga Sanctuary and is set out like an African village, the Centre’s makuti-thatched ‘rondavels’ (circular bandas with conical roofs) were built using local  techniques, materials and labour. Eight single sex dormitories sleep up to 40 people and large dome tents   accommodate a further 40 people during the summer. 

All learners will be accommodated in 4 person bandas which are mosquito free and actually very cool. We also use a tented camp on occasion. We will also be able to accommodate single sex as we have a considerable amount of beds in camp. Inside each banda there are four pairs of rustic wooden bunk beds. Individual sleeping units consist of a single bed,      high-density mattress, sheets, blankets, pillows and sleeping nets as well as shelves to keep your belongings. The camp has an ablution block with showers and flushing toilets. The camp is surrounded by a fence to provide security from wildlife. There is one large mess area as well as a large campfire area where you can relax after a hard day working in the bush.

About EcoTraining — East Africa

EcoTraining’s mission is to establish professional guide training, to increase the standard of guiding throughout Kenya.  We believe one of the key factors in the conservation of wildlife is the responsibility of the guides.

There are more than 6000 safari guides employed in the industry in East Africa responsible for guiding tens of thousands of tourists each year.  Based on feedback from tourists, professional safari guides and safari    operators, we believe that there is a real need to supply a quality training service to these guides in order to improve their guiding abilities, to make them more responsible and sensitive to their clients’ needs and the environment and to give them a sense of pride in what they do.  For many of these guides, the tourism industry is the only career option available.

EcoTraining has been conducting guide training programs since 1993 in southern and east Africa and has three established 20-bedded camps situated in wilderness areas of southern Africa.  EcoTraining southern Africa is endorsed by the Field Guide’s Association of Southern Africa which is accredited by the South     African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) under the Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education Authority (THETA).  We form the practical component of the extremely comprehensive Damelin Certificate in Nature Guiding, the Intec Correspondence Diploma in Game Ranging and the Wildlife Campus Online Game    Ranging course.
EcoTraining aims to ensure that guides in Africa are of the finest standard and training. Critical to us is that the guides acknowledge that as important as wildlife knowledge is, even more key is the right  philosophy and approach – to take the countless opportunities given to them each day to impart conservation  principles to their guests on safari.  Every person that a Field Guide guides can go back to their country and take the    conservation message back to positively influence a greater community. EcoTraining realises the potential influence that guides may have on their guests.  We are trying to make a difference and want to impact where we can.

EcoTraining East Africa is owned and operated by Ian Johnson, Lex Hes and Anton Lategan.  Ian has been training guides in East Africa since 1994.  He is a professional guide, photographer and documentary camera man.  Lex has been guiding in Africa for 30 years.  He is a successful wildlife photographer, author and is one of southern Africa’s top   professional nature guides.  Anton has guided at some of South Africa’s premier game lodges and operated and run EcoTraining southern Africa for the past 10 years. We aim to put the bush back into Africa for all those that are searching for the most authentic wildlife training and safari experiences

Duration: 4 weeks
Minimum pax: Maximum pax: 20
Cost: Please contact us for course rate.
Venue: Rukinga Camp - Tsavo Dates: Next course start September 3rd 2010

Download pdf info.

If this is your dream or passion, allow us to help you fulfill that dream. After all, there is no time like the present. Contact us.