Christmas at Karongwe
I was equal parts excited about and dreading Christmas in the South African bush. I have never had a Christmas away from my family before and it’s pretty much the only holiday in the year I really care about.
An Aussie in Africa: from corporate to camp life
Cara, a corporate girl from Australia, has left her world behind and moved to Africa with her South African born husband to explore the unknown. Their quest led them to EcoTraining and Cara’s tales of life in the bush begin here…
Basic birding and tricking others to raise your young
For the last week we’ve had a Professional Field Guide course in camp completing their Basic Birding course. Cara Pring managed to tag along and this is what she has learnt about birding.
Mashatu: A team to be reckoned with – meet Russel and Lynne
We recently had the privilege to induct two very special people, Russel and Lynne, into our EcoTraining team at our Mashatu camp. With plenty years of experience in the bush and the safari industry, this is a team to be reckoned with!
A bush breakaway to remember
Christoff Els, winner of EcoTraining’s bush breakaway competition shares his unforgettable memories from the past weekend at our camp on Karongwe Game Reserve.
My first wildlife encounter as a Safari Guide trainee
Let’s go back in time to our holiday or course in the bush and recall that thrilling moment when you first encountered one of Africa’s beautiful animal species on a game drive.
Kenya: an unusual sighting
It is unusual for cheetahs to scavenge off each other, and this sighting of a male and female cheetah sharing a meal left everyone puzzled.
EcoTraining: Photos of the week #2
Every photo has a story to tell and every week the story will have a different ending. In nature not one day is the same which makes life in the bush a thrilling experience.
A walk in the bush
“There is something right about seeing animals on foot rather than from the great fuming hide of a vehicle. Here we are all animals with needs for water and shelter, at a respectful and proper distance. Here one is excited by tracks of animals one doesn’t see or by working out how the lions killed the eland carcass we come across”.
EcoTraining: Photos of the week #1
After a camp visit to three of our four wilderness camps, we walked away with a renewed love for nature and its inhabitants and it left us in awe of the beautiful African bush.
Birds of a feather flock together?
However, this isn’t true in the case of EcoTraining. Talking to participants enrolled on one particular course, we couldn’t get a melting pot of more diverse people with contrasting origins, careers, backgrounds and appearances.
Matrics go big in the bush this December
Have you ever thought of having a matric rage in the African bush? Based in a beautiful big five game reserve, with a comfy tented camp as your base, embrace the celebrations with a whole lot more meaning, adventure, memories and experiences
A day filled with wildlife encounters
Mashatu is one of those special wilderness places that never disappoints. Today has been an eventful day at Mashatu with countless, exciting game encounters. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the week will hold for our students. Henry tells us all about the events of the day…
Georg Messerer – the road to become a true conservationist
Georg Messerer from Germany, a past one year Professional Field Guide student of EcoTraining, has been involved in an exciting rewilding project in Europe. Proud of the impact EcoTraining has had on his life direction, we share Georg’s inspirational conservation story with you.
A dream realisation in progress – Louise Monsey
“Your dreams are your life’s purposes, so don’t give up” –Anonymous. Louise Monsey, a recent EcoTraining graduate, is a shining example of a determined person who did not let anyone discourage her and now she is living her dream.
Guilty pleasures in the bush
When living and working in the bush, one does not always have luxuries at hand, but that does not mean that you can’t improvise and embrace what the bush has to offer! I asked some of our instructors to share their ‘guilty pleasures’ with us. Some were to the point, some profoundly philosophical, and others described pleasures that instantly made us want to join in on the fun!
Why the buffalo?
Anton Lategan, co-owner and managing director of EcoTraining, is more than passionate about his company, EcoTraining. Having owned it since 1993, he is the DNA of EcoTraining and all that it stands for. Anton feels that there are certain attributes of EcoTraining that should never change, no matter the influences of technology, outside opinions or current trends.
Have you ever seen a ‘jumping bean’?
While walking through the African bush you may often come across some surprising elements. Some of them are not always self-explanatory and get one contemplating and curious, especially when you see seeds jumping all over the ground!
Henry Parsons: the bush, EcoTraining and I
We handpick our instructors to make sure we offer our students the best possible experience on course. Henry Parsons is one of those inspiring and motivational instructors that you do not find around every corner. In this blog Henry tells us all about his love for the bush and why he loves working for EcoTraining.
Raymond Khoza: an inspirational story about passion for a guiding career
If you ever were to meet a person oozing with a love for life, an engaging manner and an ease with meeting people, it would be Raymond Khosa, seasoned field and trails guide in the Kruger Park. In the few minutes of talking to him, you will realise his razor sharp memory for facts, people’s journeys and his career that started with an EcoTraining course 14 years ago.
A day in the life of Mashatu camp staff
There is a lot going on behind the scenes at our camps that most people are not aware of. From early morning to late night our staff are dedicated to the well-being of our students. This is how it is done at our Mashatu camp.
Wildlife encounters around every corner
Mashatu had an incredible week of wildlife activity. Being based in a big game area, our unfenced camp regularly receives non-human visitors and we enjoy regular encounters on our daily walks and game drives. These encounters make the wilderness element of our courses uniquely special
To walk and just be in the wilderness
It’s a “complex shifting of ‘stuff’ under the surface of one’s consciousness”. The EcoTraining Wilderness Trails Skills course takes you on a journey through one of the most untouched wilderness areas in Africa. By leaving the busy-ness of your daily life behind, you get a chance to rediscover yourself in the most natural way possible.
A poem: The journey of a safari guide student
Gary Ray left the corporate world in Joburg to embark on a dramatic change to his life – to train as a professional safari guide then to live and work in Africa’s bushveld. He was so impacted on by nature while training with EcoTraining, that he wrote this poem during his one year course.
What is a guide and what is a ranger?
People often tend to confuse the roles of a Field Guide and Game or Park Ranger. Even though the basis of their knowledge is the same their functions in the industry are very different.
Why we enrolled on a One Year Safari Guide course!
Are you thinking of taking a year out of your life and do an EcoTraining Professional Field Guide course? The new intakes of this course made this big decision not so long ago and they share their reasons behind their decisions with us.
Back where I began – Jomi Krobb
We are humbled to meet up with our past students, especially when they are back with EcoTraining to take their qualifications to the next level.
Look who visited us in camp!
Since we are celebrating World Elephant day today, we want to share our fondest and most intimate memories of elephants visiting our camps.
American students fund a dehorning project
A group of students recently experienced the raw reality of a rhino dehorning process. It was a sad, yet humbling experience to be remembered for years to come.
How to tell the difference: white rhino and black rhino tracks
Animal track identification can become difficult if you do not know the basic distinguishing features of tracks. In this blog Norman explains the difference between white rhino and black rhino tracks.
