By EcoTraining
When I think about Africa, I think safari. I see people travelling from all over the world to view the magnificent wildlife and scenic game reserves only Africa can offer. Some people prefer to jump in their own vehicles and explore the wilderness on their own, while others feel more comfortable with a specialist guide on their side. The upside of taking a guided safari is that you will be entertained and educated for the entire duration of your safari. An interpretive safari tends to create meaningful and unexpected encounters when you least expect it.
More than meets the eye
For someone to become qualified as a Safari Field Guide, they have to gain expansive knowledge about the environment and the organisms that live there. They have to learn all about animal behaviour to ensure a safe environment for their guests at all times, specifically when encountering dangerous game while out on safari. Not only do they have to keep their guests safe, they have to consider the impact of their activities on the environment. To be a safari guide is a privilege, but also a big responsibility.
For someone to choose a career as a guide, you need a passion for nature and wildlife. Once the passion is there, there is no stopping anyone. With the right education in place, a qualified Safari Field Guide can make a big impact on the natural world.Every person who trains has experienced the natural world in its rawest form and will have changed because of this. Such a transformation encourages each prospective guide to prioritise nature in their lives and to become a passionate conservationist. The more people we have who think like that, the better the world will be.
How to become a qualified guide
To become a Field Guide, you have to obtain a valid qualification from an accredited training provider in your country. In South Africa, our guiding standards are set by FGASA (Field Guide Association of South Africa) and in turn, there are many training providers who are endorsed by FGASA to provide the necessary training to prospective guides at the best possible standards. EcoTraining offers such a qualification and as the longest standing Field Guide training provider in Africa, they have trained many incredible guides, from all over the world, who is currently working in the industry.
Hands on, practical training forms the heart of EcoTraining’s courses and it is with this formula that students walk away with extensive knowledge and experience to take guests on an interpretive safari. While your education will be focused on the African bushveld, the perspective on life and nature that you will gain is one that is missing from many modern societies. Simply put, it reminds us of the importance of natural spaces, how intricately linked they are with everything around us and that no matter where we live in the world, these spaces are fundamental to the progression of life on this planet. EcoTraining focuses on reconnecting people to the bush by understanding the interrelatedness of the ecology.
The importance of an interpretive safari.
As a training provider of field guide and nature courses, we get asked about conservation all the time. Environmental conservation is our core focus. It forms the foundation of all our courses and it is the golden string that holds our company together.
An interpretive safari is more than just a guided experience. It is about environmental education. As guides, we need to teach our guests the importance of protecting our environment and wildlife to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. We have to teach our guests to appreciate nature and to learn from it. It will make them aware of and sensitive towards how human interferences has and can negatively impact on ecosystems. A guest has to walk away from your safari experience with a new outlook and appreciation for nature. If the guest walks away, without a newfound love and passion for Africa, then the guide did not do a proper job.
The circle is complete
Mission accomplished! Your guest returns home, whether it is back to his/her place in Africa or somewhere very far away, but their new found passion for wildlife is here to stay! Why? Because the Safari Field Guide cared enough about the environment to teach others about the importance of protecting it. This deep connection with nature, cannot be learnt from a textbook or taught by word-of-mouth. It requires physical and mental presence along with an openness to the whole experience. But once the lesson has been learnt, it will be with you for the rest of your life. You may learn this in the African bushveld, but no matter where you go it will be with you. A Guardian of nature was created and the circle of life continues. The guests returns home and shares his knowledge with his family and friends and in turn creates a community of guardians around the world.
It all starts with one safari and one person. Let the guiding begin!
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Travelling with a purpose
Travelling with a purpose can do so much more than just broaden your experience, it can liberate your understanding of the world. Exchange your typical holiday with a travel opportunity that truly adds value to your life and that also allows you to be environmentally conscious. Always opt for tours that promote responsible tourism practices such as observing animals in their natural environment in the wild rather than animal petting in confined and unnatural settings. Advocate for holidays that will leave a long-lasting impression rather than a fleeting moment.
EcoTraining offers a variety of nature programmes ranging from 5 days to 7 and 14 days. These experiences take purposeful nature holidays to the next level in that, you live fully immersed in nature at unfenced wilderness camps for the duration of the course. Each day is packed with learning, game drives, nature walks and wildlife encounters, perfect for reconnecting with the natural world.
Learn more about EcoTraining at www.ecotraining.co.za