Start the day right
I did my 35-day practical with Ecotraining for my Field Guide Training in South Africa, in a camp called Pridelands—the daily schedule was almost the same every day. Two persons were in charge of the daily tasks on a rotational basis. One of them was to wake up the whole camp using a big drum that always hung at the side of the wooden wall of the boma. I would walk along the narrow pathways between the tents and bang with my hand on the drum. The first person up and awake was the one who turned off the electricity of the fence around the kitchen and opened the zippers of the kitchen tent. Inside, I would light the gas cookers and boil water in the biggest pots you could find to ensure everyone in camp could get a hot coffee or tea to start the day right. Simultaneously, I prepared the two boxes for the coffee break during the morning drive and filled them with hot water bottles, coffee, tea, sugar, milk and cookies. On the big serving table in the dining area, we prepared the ingredients for breakfast so that everyone could help themselves.
The morning drive
After breakfast, everyone got ready for the morning drive, leaving at six every day. In the first few days, the instructors drove the cars and showed and taught us as much as possible before we, as students, got a chance to sit in the driver’s seat. On the days when I was the guide, I met my instructor fifteen minutes before we left to do the vehicle check. Is the tank full? Is there enough oil? Do the engine and the lights work? Are the wheels intact and is the reserve wheel on board? Is the car nice and clean? I would also check if I had the map of the reserve, a bird book and occasionally a book on trees or mammals, depending on my main goals for the day. Then, right on time, we set off for the morning drive. Of course, not before the guiding student did the safety check and talked the others through the rules on a game drive for practice. Every morning drive was different, depending on the weather, the route, the guide and a little bit of luck. Some days, we were struck by awesome animal sightings for four hours, while on others, we talked mainly about the landscape, the soil, plants, and termites. You definitely learn to work with what you get there.
Lunchtime and lessons
After the morning drive, we had lunch back in camp, cooked by the local kitchen staff and presented again by the service team. Between lunch and the start of the afternoon drive, lessons in the classroom tent covered all the practical stuff we could need to become a knowledgeful guide.
The topics aligned with what we learned in the theory part of the course before the useful, but it was much more naturalistic and ready-to -use-on-a-game-drive-like. There we studied the calls of birds, frogs, and mammals, got to know the trees and plants, learned how to recognize the most common reptiles and amphibians, and memorized the animal’s tracks. We tried to present or integrate everything from the classroom into our drives.
The afternoon drive
In the afternoon, the student in charge did again the vehicle check, and additionally, for these drives, it was necessary to make sure there was a working spotlight in the car. Instead of a tea and coffee box, the guiding student had to fill the cooler box for the sundowner with the desired drinks, which were accompanied by surprises like cookies or other treats. Just as in the morning, the afternoon drives were different every day. A critical task for the guide was finding a safe spot somewhere in the reserve at the right time to enjoy and watch the sunset.
End the day right
Mostly, we came back to camp when it was already dark. We shared our dinner in the boma, talking about our best memories of the day or about the things we struggled with, or just resting quietly in the presence of the others. Days are long during a Field Guide Course because they are filled with so much new, so much to learn, to see and to experience. I wouldn’t have wanted it differently, and I enjoyed everyone.
A FGASA and CATHSSETA-qualified 35-day Field Guide Course.
Immerse yourself in the African wilderness, expand your knowledge, and embark on a transformative learning experience with EcoTraining.
Sign up for the 35-day Field Guide Course today!
For more information on the 35-day Field Guide Course, contact [email protected] or call +27 (0)13 7522532
35-Day Field Guide Practical
Today we join EcoTraining students Debbie, Maurice and Stephane at Pridelands. They started their journey with EcoTraining by enrolling and completing their Online Field Guide course and then decided to come and do their practical component. They came together at Pridelands, where they started their 35-day Field Guide Practical course—thrilled with the real-time experiences and incredible wildlife sightings one can only have when in the field.
