Life as a backup at Pridelands couldn’t be more different than the one Jule Friehs was living in Germany just a year ago. Jule was working as a biological laboratory assistant. Then she came to South Africa on a volunteering trip, which changed everything for her.
Before arriving in remote northern Kruger National Park at Makuleke Camp, first-year student Bella Villaveva had never left the state of Nebraska. “Everything is exciting here,” she says with resounding enthusiasm, “because I had only ever been in the mid-west. I was a little scared as I didn’t know anything about what I was coming to, but it wasn’t for long because the instructors created a base for us, and our common interests united us.
Take our EcoTraining Quiz this week and test your knowledge of reptiles.
The fundamental role that reptiles play in the ecosystem is a simple one. As one part of the more fabulous food chain, they prevent overpopulation and provide food for hungry predators, especially when they are young.
Katie Campbell – study abroad student from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and completed the online Field Guide course via Zoom in August 2021. Now she’s happily on the ground at the remote Makuleke Camp.
“TK is simpler for foreigners to pronounce,” smiles Pridelands’ cook, Tsakani Masango. She’s happily been with EcoTraining since 2012 and is the permanent cook at Selati camp, but she also travels between camps when needed. “I love the bush, I love nature,” says vibrant TK, “and I love meeting people from so many different places in the world. It is very amazing.”
In this third blog in our series, we are following David Ullmann, from Germany, who is embarking on his dream of becoming a field guide. From deciding to become a field guide to touching down in South Africa to start with EcoTraining.
“When I arrived here in 2010, I wasn’t a bush person,” admits Vicky Maluleke, laughing out loud, “but it didn’t take long to become one, and I still love it here.” Camp Co-ordinator at EcoTraining’s Makuleke Camp in northern Kruger, Vicky, is from the local Makuleke village and has an exciting story.
In February, Liam Mueenuddin got the last spot on the 2022 Trails Guiding course. He was packed and on the ground, ready to start within two weeks. “I am loving the course with all my heart,” he says sincerely. “Wildlife has always been a passion of mine. I have wanted to work in the bush since I was ten years old, actually as long as I can remember.”
Take our EcoTraining Quiz this week and test your knowledge of fish.
Fish species biodiversity is a testament to the incredible variety of aquatic life on our planet. With over 33,000 recognized species, fish inhabit a wide range of ecosystems, from the depths of the ocean to the highest mountain streams. They come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, each adapted to their specific environment.
I used to be a city girl through and through, growing up in Munich, Germany. The older I got, the lesser I enjoyed the city life’s merits. I was looking for something else. I did not know what that was until I found it: reconnecting with nature in the African wilderness.
Study wildlife conservation and accredited field guide courses at any of our pioneering African training camps.
Located on the banks of the Mara river,
the camp is nestled between communities
and wildlife conservancies.
Explore the untamed wilderness of Kruger
National Park’s Makuleke Concession
with EcoTraining.
Located at the confluence of the Limpopo
and Shashe Rivers, in the eastern
corner of Botswana.
A natural wonderland with free-roaming
elephants located in the Limpopo
Province of South Africa.
A unique safari destination that offers
visitors an immersive and unforgettable
experience.
Offering a diverse and rewarding
learning environment, teeming with life
and rich in ecological variety.
Want to become a field or nature guide? Explore our immersive courses and training programmes for professional safari guides and guardians of nature, taught and led by experts in the industry.
EcoTraining offers career and accredited courses, wildlife enthusiast courses, gap year programmes and customised group travel courses.
Join our nature-loving community.
