Blog

Pridelands Camp by Emily Whiting

Barely 5 minutes from the charming safari town of Hoedspruit lies an unassuming gate into a little-known wonderland of treasures. Pridelands Conservancy officially dropped its fences to become part of the Greater Kruger in 2017, and since then, the area has flourished. An influx of wildlife has migrated to the property, from predators looking for new territories to hungry elephants keen to sample the pristine vegetation.

My South Africa by Amit Franko

My story begins like an ordinary student story. I felt closed I'm my room after a challenging semester of studies. The pandemic didn't make it any easier. I felt suffocated in my room and, to be honest, in my country as well. I felt the need to go and explore more places and see more views. But most importantly, to have new and exciting experiences. I decided to take a short break from my studies and do a course in South Africa.

Terrestrial Planets

There are four Terrestrial Planets in our Solar System. These Planets happen to be our closest neighbors and the closest to our Sun. They are also known as the Inner Planets. They are Mercury, Venus, Mars, and of course our home Earth. Scientists think that during the formation of our Solar System there were more than likely more Terrestrial Planetoids but that they either merged with each other or were destroyed.

Running to the rhythm of the bush

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One of the first things you will probably learn out in the African bush is the famous rule – Don’t run! As a runner, I guess this golden rule won’t help me get a gold medal at my upcoming race as it stops me dead in my tracks quite literally. The idea of possibly becoming prey when you kick up the pace is a frightening thought as there is no way you can outrun anything out here, even if you were the fastest animal on two legs.

Jovian Planets

Beyond our Solar Systems' first asteroid belt, four massive Planets are located. These are known as the Outer or Jovian Planets. Jovian Planets are any Jupiter-like Planets which means that in our Solar System, these four Planets are known as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These Planets are known as the Gas (Jupiter/Saturn) or Ice (Uranus/Neptune) Giants of our Solar System.

Wilderness Photography course – Hailey Pope

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Makuleke is a stunning area of northern Kruger with ample photographic opportunities, and when paired with an Instructor that knows where to look and how to go about taking the photo you get a great photographic course.

Conservation vs Preservation by Aayat Irfan

The utilization of words such as ''preservation'' and ''conservation'' is widely done across eco-tourism industries as well as eco-tourists and environmentalists. However, both of these words can be doubtlessly confused. Both of their definitions highly differ. Although both of the processes focus on protecting the natural environment, the method of conducting each one of them does contrast.

Women Protecting our Wildlife

On World Female Ranger Day, we would like to introduce you to some of the strong and inspiring women who risk their lives daily to protect our wildlife.

Do you know your African giraffe?

Towering above the open plains, grass, and woodlands of Africa, giraffes, with their extremely long necks and legs are the world’s tallest mammals. They are social animals that roam the savannah peacefully in large herds as they forage for food at the tops of trees. Handsome and impressive yet awkward, no safari would be complete without these gentle giants.

Dwarf Planets

In our Solar System, there are currently five recognized Dwarf Planets with many more waiting to be discovered or confirmed. These are in order from Earth - Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. Like the other Planets these are all named after Gods and Goddess, although interestingly not just after Roman or Greek Gods.

Painted Wolves of Africa

The Painted Wolves are also known as the African Wild Dog or Cape Hunting Dog are beautiful, elegant, slim line, cross-county athletes. Built for hunting, speed, distance, and endurance.

Wilderness Photography with Rolf Bussmann

Gabriele and I have a keen interest in wildlife and nature photography, therefore the Wilderness Photography course with EcoTraining was the right thing to do at the best time in wonderful Makuleke!

Part of the Troop – Baboons of Makuleke

In my year and a half at EcoTraining, I have had the privilege to move around our different camps and experience the unique relationship between humans and the animals that frequently visit the camps. The experience that captivated me, is the troop of baboons in Makuleke. They spend their days interacting with one another in and around camp and then roosting in the big Nyala Berry trees at night.

Wilderness Photography with Gabriele Muller-Sonder

For years I have loved the northern part of the Kruger National Park. I wanted to do a birding course in Makuleke with EcoTraining. As this was not possible on the date offered, I decided to do the photography course instead. It turned out to be a very good choice.

My Student Journey, Part 4 – After graduation

From the very first time I set foot in South Africa, I knew I had come home. Perhaps not in the literal meaning of the word, but it was something I felt in my very being. My soul, never quite at peace, felt awash with relief that it had at last found a place to belong.