Giant Sable Conservation Efforts

Found only in central Angola, the giant sable is one of the most impressive but also one of the most critically endangered African          antelopes. It was unprotected during the civil war that     began in 1975 and only ended in 2002. Government and rebel armies alternately occupied the 8,280 sq km Luando Integral Reserve of the Giant Sable and the 630 sq km Cangandala National Park, 50 km from Malange, the provincial capital. Without a giant sable bull, the sable in Cangandala were doomed to extinction, hybrids or no hybrids.
To read his article further and see the slide show of the  operation, go here.

Breaking News - Giraffe kills Impala

Fresh scarlet brain-blood had flowed from the baby imapal's nostrils to pool thickly in the footprint of a bull giraffe Read further...

How can we help you!

With holidays, career breaks or future employment opportunities taking a back-seat, many people are looking towards doing something constructive, affordable and above all for themselves. EcoTraining offers a wide variety of courses to suit many individual needs for now and the future!

Why Choose EcoTraining? 

•We’ve been training since 1993 - one of the first organisations to conduct formal training.
•We train in great wilderness areas including the Kruger National Park.
•Our students train while living in the middle of the African wilderness, with wild animals potentially right outside their tents as our canvas tented camps are unfenced.
•We have trained Field Guides for top tourism operators such as Wilderness Safaris, Tanzania Wildlife Safaris, KZN Wildlife, Heritage Group and various privately-owned game lodges in southern Africa.
•and more reasons to choose us…

Join the Butterfly Survey at Makuleke

Let us know if you encounter these butterflies at Makuleke in the Kruger National Park. 79 species were recorded during the last survey, a couple of species that were of interest eluded the team. We need your help in documenting the species below.

It would be great if the presence of the following species can be confirmed for the area, as the current records are either very old, doubtful or based on single records only, which could indicate that the specimens recorded were onlymigrants into the area. The species that would be really great to record again are:

Acraea acrita ( Fiery Acraea)

Charaxes bohemani (Large Blue Emperor)

Euxanthe wakefieldi (Forest Queen)

Cyrestis camillus (African Map Butterfly)

Dixeia doxo (Black‐veined white)

Andronymus caesar philander (White Dart)

Andronymus neander (Common dart or Nomad Dart)

 

Home arrow Trails Guide 28 day
Trails Guide - 28 days

EcoTraining offers this course which has been designed to supply the safari industry with high calibre professional Back-up Trails Guides. This course has been specifically developed to cater for those students who have completed our Level 1 course or other equivalent qualification and wish to be trained in trails guiding and logging encounters. The course is not only available to people wishing to enter the industry as qualified back-up trails guides, however, it is also available to people wishing to gain further experience or anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of the African bush while walking. It is not necessary to have passed the EcoTraining Level 1 exams or to have written FGASA Level 1 to attend this course.

EcoTraining pride themselves on their conservation ethics, personal responsibility and safety at all times. We are confident that you will leave the EcoTraining Makuleke Trails Guide Course with a lot of new skills.  Your environmental knowledge, situational awareness and environmental appreciation will increase exponentially while on course, whether you are a career guide working towards a qualification or attending for self satisfaction and learning. The 24 000 ha Makuleke Concession hosts 75% of the biodiversity of the Greater Kruger National Park, which makes walking in this area very special and rewarding. 

Subjects covered in this course include

Introduction to Trails Guide course
Navigation and Orientation
Tracks and tracking
Survival and Bush Skills
Walking in big game country
Situational awareness
Approaching dangerous game
Dangerous animal knowledge & behaviour
Animal behaviour
Pre-Trail Briefs/Checks
What a Trails Guide carries in a backpack
Birding & bird identification
Geology
Ecology
Historical human habitation
Conservation ethics
Weapon handling, safety & ballistics
Wilderness concept
Radio procedures
Tests, presentations and assessments:
2 x Theory test (mid & end)
1 x Field Observation (mid)
1 x Track & Sign (end)
1 x VPDA Scenario
1 x Navigation/Location Theory test
1 x Bird Identification (slide & sound)
Course Activity Preparation (throughout the course)
Hospitality - Boma Dinner Assessment
Rifle Handling Assessment (optional)
EcoTraining Practical Assessment
FGASA Trails Guide Exam (where applicable)
FGASA Advanced Rifle Handling Assessment (where applicable)
FGASA Trails Guide Practical Assessment (where applicable)

The course includes daily lectures; however the emphasis is on practical learning with morning and afternoon walks incorporating all the subjects mentioned above. Students are encouraged to lead the walks, with Instructors mentoring and coaching which provides students with the experience and confidence to walk in any bush environment. Some activities will start with a drive to a location, which gives students a chance to show their driving/guiding skills. Students, who pass the EcoTraining Rifle Handling assessment, will then carry a rifle as back-up role with Instructors mentoring and coaching. The course is designed to allow students the freedom to make their own decisions whilst leading walks and ensuring that the course objective are attained.

This objective of the course is to provide students with the necessary skills to lead walking activities safely in dangerous game areas.  EcoTraining pride themselves on their conservation ethics, personal responsibility and safety at all times. We are confident that you will leave the EcoTraining Makuleke Trails Guide Course with a lot of new skills.  Your environmental knowledge, situational awareness and environmental appreciation will increase exponentially while on course, whether you are a career guide working towards a qualification or attending for self satisfaction and learning. The 24 000 ha Makuleke Concession hosts 75% of the biodiversity of the Greater Kruger National Park, which makes walking in this area very special and rewarding.


Certification and Accreditation

EcoTraining Trails Guide Back-up Certificate and FGASA Trails Guide Back-up Qualification.

EcoTraining Trails Guide Back-up

There are no pre-requisites to attend this course, except a love of walking in wilderness areas. To gain an EcoTraining Trails Guide Back-up Certificate, you will be expected to participate and achieve high levels in all aspects of the course.
Please Note: We offer limited Rifle Handling training as part of the course, Therefore any rifle training you can do beforehand, will help you in attaining the ARH qualification.

To gain an EcoTraining Trails Guide Back-up Certificate, you will be expected to participate and achieve high levels in all aspects of the course.
The overall pass mark required is 75%.
The EcoTraining Course is aligned very closely with FGASA, however we set our standards at a higher level and incorporate numerous subjects not in the FGASA syllabus.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation.

FGASA Trails Guide back-up

If you want to attain the Advanced Rifle Handling (ARH) qualification as well as the FGASA Trails Guide Back-up qualification presented on this course, you must have the following:
Full FGASA Level 1 qualification (Theory and Practical)
SASSETA - Rifle Competency Certificate (www.sasseta.org.za)
Current First Aid Certificate
FGASA Annual Subscription Fees must be current (Exams and Assessments cannot be undertaken until subscription fees are paid and current)

Please Note: We offer limited Rifle Handling training as part of the course, Therefore any rifle training you can do beforehand, will help you in attaining the ARH qualification.

Cost: We have chosen not to put our rates here as they vary for each camp. Please contact us for course rate.
Venue: Kruger Park Makuleke Camp

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.

 

 
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