Elephant Conservation Supporter

location
2 - 12 uker  ·  Alder 18 - 50+

rating  Utmerket 4.8  · 
  Verifisert av Volunteer World
  God Svarprosent

Høydepunkter

  • Experience beautiful Namibia!
  • Explore Swakopmund a great little town, safe, by the sea, surrounded by sand dunes with lots of activities to keep you entertained!
  • Work with and protect the majestic elephant! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Høydepunkter

  • Experience beautiful Namibia!
  • Explore Swakopmund a great little town, safe, by the sea, surrounded by sand dunes with lots of activities to keep you entertained!
  • Work with and protect the majestic elephant! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
  • Meet like-minded people and form a deep relationship!
  • There's much to do in your free time: kayaking, surfing, quad biking, dolphin tours, fishing, desert tours and much more


  • Spesielt egnet for

    Alder 18+
    Singler
    Par
    Familier
    Grupper
    50+

    Om programmet

    EHRA aims to conserve the desert elephants of Namibia, through practical and realistic anti-conflict solutions.

    How the EHRA Volunteer Project Works

    EHRA's wildlife volunteer program is structured in 2-week (11 nights) rotations, but you can repeat up to a  maximum of 12 weeks(132 nights). A volunteer group has a maximum of 14 people, of all ages and from all walks of life who join the program and come to ...

    Om programmet

    How the EHRA Volunteer Project Works

    EHRA's wildlife volunteer program is structured in 2-week (11 nights) rotations, but you can repeat up to a  maximum of 12 weeks(132 nights). A volunteer group has a maximum of 14 people, of all ages and from all walks of life who join the program and come to Namibia to experience life in the African bush! Minimum age is 18 years old and there is no maximum age limit. 

    Meeting Point

    The meeting point is Swakopmund and we will give you help and advice on getting here. We organise your travel arrangements from the airport in Namibia's capital Windhoek, and the transfer to A La Mer Hotel or Amanpuri Travelers Lodge whichever you choose to stay at. On Sunday evening ( 18h30) there is a short briefing for all volunteers at A La Mer Hotel, which is important, because you get to meet our staff and learn what will happen the following day when the program begins. We leave Swakopmund on Monday at 12:00 noon. We then drive to EHRA's Base Camp on the Ugab River, where you will spend the night and listen to a full briefing about the volunteer program for the following week.

    Week One - Building Week

    On Tuesday morning the group travels to the local Namibian farm or homestead where you will spend building week, building a protection wall around the water sources or building alternative water points for the elephants. Volunteer teams live in mobile base camps in the vicinity of the homesteads and elephants. Tents are provided by EHRA this week and soon you will make the camp your home! All cooking is done over the fire and you work in pairs taking turns to be on kitchen duty, which includes providing the first cup of coffee to everyone in bed and preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner. We have great recipes which cater for all dietary restrictions.

    You rise early to beat the Namibian heat and then stop around noon to travel back to camp for a traditional African siesta and lunch. In the afternoon you start working after 2:30 pm and work for a couple of hours, before it is time to head back to camp for the obligatory sundowner. Evenings are spent talking and relaxing around the camp fire and listening to the sounds of Africa.

    Building walls is sweaty, hard work but each volunteer does what he or she is capable of doing, and you work as a team to complete the project. 

    Base Camp

    Saturday morning you pack up the camp and travel back to the EHRA Base Camp for a much deserved shower and relaxation. The next two days are yours to explore, read, take a swim in the elephant drinking dam and RELAX!

    Week Two - Elephant Patrol

    On Monday morning volunteer teams pack the Land Cruisers and leave on elephant patrol. This is an amazing week where you join the EHRA trackers on a (mostly) vehicle-based patrol traveling through the area to track the local herds of desert elephants. This week is your reward for all the hard work on building week.

    The aim of this week is to track the elephants, record data on births, deaths and new elephants, GPS their positions and take ID shots and notes about each and every elephant. In 2014 we have started a genetics project to ascertain which bulls are the main breeding animals. This involves collecting elephant dung, which is something all volunteers will help with!

    EHRA believes effective conservation management is only possible through knowing each elephant personally, through its physical features and its personality traits, as well as having accurate and up-to-date information on numbers and movements. This is particularly important when 'problem' elephants are declared. The information gathered on patrol is entered onto our online database which maps each herd's movements using Google Earth. From this we can ascertain which farms and homesteads elephants visit regularly and therefore may require protection walls. The database also holds all ID photos of the elephants.

    During patrol you sleep at a new place every evening, depending on where the day's tracking has taken you. You sleep under the stars, and for many volunteers, this is one of the most magical experiences of the project, and indeed, of their gap year or career break!

    It is unlikely that you will see many other humans during the week, your company being the areas wildlife!

    Aside from elephants, you can expect to see giraffes, oryx, ostriches, kudu, zebra, springbok and if you are very lucky black rhino or even leopards or lions, and hundreds of different birds.

    On Thursday afternoon after spending 4 days and 3 nights out, you travel back to Base Camp to spend your last night in the desert if you are with EHRA for only 2 weeks.

    Friday morning you say your goodbyes and climb in the Land Cruiser for the journey back to Swakopmund. Friday nights are always a fun night out where we all eat together in one of the local restaurants.

    Swakopmund

    Swakopmund is a great little town, safe, by the sea, surrounded by sand dunes and with lots of activities to keep you entertained, such as skydiving, kayaking, dolphin watching and sand boarding to name only a few. There are lots of cafes, interesting shops, restaurants, a few bars and even a cinema! For anyone traveling onwards through Namibia we can also help you to plan your trip and recommend the best agents, car rentals, places to stay and to see.

    If you would like to get in touch with a past volunteer to hear first hand about their experience please do let us know.



    Fritidsaktiviteter

    Volunteers meet in the Skeleton Coast town of Swakopmund where there are many different activities including kayaking, surfing, quad biking, dolphin tours, fishing, desert tours and sand boarding on the famous dunes to name a few! During the project there is a day off in a small local town where ...

    Fritidsaktiviteter

    Volunteers meet in the Skeleton Coast town of Swakopmund where there are many different activities including kayaking, surfing, quad biking, dolphin tours, fishing, desert tours and sand boarding on the famous dunes to name a few! During the project there is a day off in a small local town where there is a restaurant with a swimming pool and wifi. The area around our base camp is beautiful and great for short hikes.


    Krav

    Krav

    Minimumsalder: 18 år

    For å bli med i programmet må du være minst 18 år gammel på programmets startdato. Det kan være unntak hvis du kan gi tillatelse fra dine foresatte eller hvis du er i følge med foreldrene dine.

    Språkferdigheter

    Du må snakke Engelsk (grunnleggende nivå)

    Påkrevde dokumenter

    None

    Nasjonalitetsbegrensninger

    Ingen restriksjoner. Hjelpende hender fra hele verden er velkomne.

    Andre ferdigheter

    There is no skills or experience needed

    Tidsforpliktelse

    Din hjelpende hånd vil bli påkrevd Mandag, Tirsdag, Onsdag, Torsdag, Fredag og Lørdag fra 08:00 - 16:30

    Hva inngår

    Hva inngår

    Tjenester fra Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA)

    All food, accommodation, transfers to and from base camp, equipment whilst on the project.

    Overnatting

    At base camp we sleep on a big wooden platform in a tree. On build week we make a mobile camp, with long drop toilets but no showers. We sleep under a tarpaulin or you can choose a tent. On patrol we sleep wild and everyone sleeps on bedrolls under the stars.

    Mat og drikke

    Typical breakfast is tea, coffee, porridge, cereals. Lunch is sandwiches and fruit. Evening meals are anything from Spaghetti Bolognese, Thai Curry, Roast Chickens, even apple crumble! All is cooked over the fire.

    Internettilgang

    Begrenset tilgang på prosjektstedet

    Hva er IKKE inkludert?

    Hva er IKKE inkludert?

    Henting fra flyplassen på Rooikop Airport

    Henting fra flyplassen er heller ikke inkludert i programavgiftene.

    Flybilletter

    Den nærmeste flyplassen er Rooikop Airport (WVB) i Walvis Bay. Vi hjelper deg med å finne billige flyreiser til Namibia. FINN BILLIGE FLYREISER

    Reiseforsikring

    Å reise til utlandet er et eventyr, og det er alltid best å være forberedt. Plutselig sykdom eller skade, avbestilling eller tyveri – en reiseforsikring for Namibia gir trygghet og er et pluss å ha. FÅ ET TILBUD

    Vaksiner

    Hvis du har tenkt å jobbe frivillig i Namibia bør du søke medisinsk råd før du starter din sosiale reise. Sjekk de nødvendige vaksinasjonene dine for Namibia. VAKSINESJEKKER

    Detaljer ved ankomst

    1 January - 12 January
    15 January - 26 January
    29 January - 9 February
    12 February - 23 February
    26 February - 8 March
    11 March - 22 March
    25 March - 5 April
    8 April - 19 April
    6 May - 17 May
    20 May - 31 May
    3 June - 14 June
    17 June - 28 June
    1 July - 12 July
    15 July - 26 July
    29 July - 9 August
    12 August - 23 August
    26 August - 6 September
    9 September - 20 September
    23 September - 4 October
    7 October - 18 October
    21 October - 1 November
    4 November - 15 November
    18 November - 29 November
    2 December - 13 December
    Tilgjengelighet
    Jan. Febr. Mars Apr. Mai Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Okt. Nov. Des.

    Programgebyrer

    2 uker (min. opphold) 1,198€
    4 uker 2,320€
    6 uker 3,316€
    8 uker 4,363€
    10 uker 5,296€
    12 uker (max. opphold) 5,964€
    Gjennomsnittlig gebyr 547€/uke

    Programgebyrer

    547€ per uke 2 - 12 uker Alder 18 - 50+

    Betalingsmetoder

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    INGEN KREDITTKORTGEBYRER


    Varighet

    2 - 12 uker

    Depositum

    Depositumet er rett og slett for å reservere frivillig plassering. Betalinger håndteres av PayPal, vår pålitelige globale betalingsleverandør. Hvis du ikke har en PayPal-konto, kan du også betale med kredittkort.


    Endelig Betaling

    Din sluttbetaling vil bli avtalt med Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA) under søknadsprosessen. Vanlige løsninger er enten via bankoverføring eller kontant betaling på prosjektstedet.


    Møt din vert

    Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA)

    Utmerket 4.8 rating (68 gjennomganger)

    Non-profit - grunnlagt i 2003

    Verifisert av Volunteer World

      God Svarprosent

    Arrangert av

    Maryna

    Snakkede språk: Engelsk

    Om prosjektet

    Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA) provides practical solutions to the elephant-human-conflict. Helping people & elephants to live safely and in harmony in Namibia.

    Møt din vert

    Elephant Human Rlations Aid is a Namibian registered not for gain organisation (reg no. 21/2003/630) which has been in operation for 20 years. The aim of the organisation is to conserve the desert elephant population in Southern Damaraland, Namibia, through anti conflict measures.

    In the 1980s the population of desert-adapted elephants in the Southern Kunene Region were wiped out through years of poaching and hunting. For years elephants were absent from the area. In 1998 an elephant bull led a herd back to the Ugab River. From that point on other herds followed until today where there are a total of 7 elephant herds in the Ugab and Huab River areas.

    Unfortunately, the people that now live in this area are not used to coexisting with the elephants. Traditional houses have been destroyed, elephants have used man made dams and broke infrastructures such as windmills or damaged water tanks with their tusks. This leaves people without access to water and creates a misunderstanding toward the elephants.

    The Elephant Humans Relations Aid project aims to address this inbalance in nature by protecting water points and educating the people about a well functioning coexistence.

    Over 1250 people have been volunteers with EHRA in Namibia. The volunteer project is dirty work, but very rewarding.  You will see the difference your hard work makes to elephant conservation. Volunteers protect the water points the elephants damage and spend a week tracking and collecting data on the local herds, sleeping wild under the stars in the Namibian desert!

    EHRA's wildlife volunteer program is structured in 2-week rotations, but you can repeat for a maximum of 12 weeks. A volunteer group has a maximum of 14 people, of all ages and from all walks of life who join the program and come to Namibia to experience life in the African bush! Minimum age is 17 years old and there is no maximum age limit.

    68 gjennomganger · rating4.8

    Vera Zingg rating5

    2024 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

    I had never volunteered before, never been to Africa before - and this has been such a inspiring and life changing way to experience Namibia for the first time. I'd go back anytime to help, to live, to learn, and laugh with the crew of EHRA. Volunteering with EHRA means sleeping outdoors, cooking ...
    Leila TOUIL rating5

    2024 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

    These 2 weeks were wonderful. The association does an amazing work helping the community and supporting the different structures of the area. It is more than seeing elephants. It is a holistic program (desertic nature discovery, elephants tracking lessons, community introduction) which helps the ...
    diane slade rating5

    2023 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

    I would recommend volunteering with EHRA Our guides, Molly, Andreas and Herman were brilliant they know the environment and of course the Elephants. They were supportive and answered all the questions that were asked I travelled alone and met 12 other like minded, friendly, caring, funny ...
    Joseph Malisov rating4.8

    2021 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

    I did the program for 2 weeks. The guides were caring, friendly, funny, and loved to teach volunteers about elephants and other wildlife. They show great respect for the area around them while keeping volunteers safe. The guides can likely handle any dietary restrictions, but make sure to let them ...
    Graham Elliott rating4

    2019 at Elephant Conservation Supporter

    A really worthwhile project which aims to protect local infrastructure for villages (water towers, solar panel installations, etc.) which are often destroyed by elephants. Elephants are also feared by many local people as they can appear out of nowhere (they are very quiet when moving around) and ...
    Talking about being taken out of my comfort zone...this was it! I am 70 years old and have seen a lot of the world.When a friend called me to see if I was game to go to Namibia with her, I said yes right away, but when she said for two weeks I did reconsider. Over 16 hrs flight time from New York ...

    Plassering

    Afrika > Sør Afrika > Namibia > Damaraland

    Du kan også være interessert i

    Ta kontakt med Maryna
      God Svarprosent
    Engelsk

    De fleste frivillige spør om


    Har du flere spørsmål? Send en melding til Maryna
    Vennligst ikke del personlige kontaktinformasjon

    Bestill med Flex Option!

    Velg nye avreisedatoer eller bytt til et annet frivilligprogram uten ekstra kostnader innen 12 måneder.

    Nyt tjenestene våre for dedikerte frivillige!

    Nyt en refusjonsgaranti, gratis Flex Option og nødhjelp. Vår prisgaranti sikrer uslåelig verdi, og supportteamet vårt står klare til å hjelpe.