It is that time of the year when our first two starting groups of 2017 get ready for their six-month lodge placement as part of their Professional Field Guide (PFG) course syllabus. The student lodge placement programme is the second part of the PFG course where students are placed at different reputable lodges to gain practical work experience as a field guide. Students get quality experience working with clients in the field. The first four to five months of the PFG course comprise intense theoretical and practical experience from the four camps across South Africa and Botswana’s prime wilderness areas.
EcoTraining’s long-standing relationships with many renowned game lodges ensure that students get access to the best quality placements possible. Students have the opportunity to become the best field guides in the industry. Amanda Hattingh, who heads up EcoTraining’s student support, visits and engages with the students regularly throughout their first months of training and monitors their progress. During these camp visits, Amanda interviews each student and with this information, will place each student accordingly to a lodge, rehabilitation centre or other facility based on the student’s aspirations and where the student will most likely flourish productively.
Take a look at some of our partners in the lodge placement programme 2017:
- Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia
- Back-up Trails Guide at one of EcoTraining’s camps
- Nomad Africa Adventure Tours, Cape Town
- Marataba Lodge, Marakele National Park
- Sigurwana, Limpopo
- EHRA (Elephant Human Relations Aid), Namibia
- Madisa Lodge, Damaraland, Namibia
- Klaserie River Sands or Care for Wild
- Gorah Lodge, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- White Elephant Lodge, Pongola, KZN
- Singita Lebombo Lodge, Kruger National Park
- Outlook Safaris, Makuleke concession, Kruger National Park,
- Nkambeni Lodge, Kruger National Park
- Makakatana Bay lodge, St Lucia, Kwa-Zulu Natal
- Return Africa Lodge, Pafuri, Kruger National Park
- Erindi Lodge, Namibia
If these names weren’t exciting enough, we are even more thrilled to announce that our new placement location will take place in Romania (see blog about Georg Messerer – the road to becoming a true conservationist). Student from the PFG group 11B, Waldo Jordaan will be our first student to travel to Europe to take part in the Rewilding Europe Programme that is headed up by former EcoTraining student Georg Messerer. EcoTraining is seriously making waves globally and aims to influence a world of environmentally conscious citizens.
Watch this space for more on ‘Where’s Waldo’ and his adventures in Europe.
If you want to be a part of great initiatives like this and aspire to become a Professional Field Guide, you will need courage and a wild spirit. You will need to love nature, love biodiversity and all it has to offer. If you think that this adventure is for you, enquire more about the Professional Field Guide Course with enquiries at [email protected].
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