The following page is designed to give you an insight into the types of environment you will working in whilst you are with Operation Wallacea. This should help you choose what you need to bring, and may also assist you in deciding which projects to participate in.

There are four groups of research and training facilities available. One group is in the Kruger National Park.   The second set of research facilities are in KwaZulu Natal.   The third set of facilities is in the Waterberg Mountain Biosphere Reserve and the fourth set of facilities are the marine research sites, Malongane Marine Research Centre and Sodwana Bay Centre.

Terrestrial research facilities

Greater Kruger site

Kruger is generally regarded to be the best Park in southern Africa in terms of size, quantity of game and management. Students will be working in the Mdluli Concession.

The Mdluli Concession is in the south western sector of the Park and students based here will be staying in a Bush Camp.  This camp is used as the base for year round surveys on a range of taxa and their habitat associations. The camp is surrounded by an electric fence to deter elephant, rhino and buffalo and accommodation is in dome safari tents with mattresses.  Bathroom facilities are in a separate toilet and shower block. There is a large central mess tent where meals are taken and a separate research tent for lectures and invertebrate identification.

KwaZulu Natal Sites

Opwall volunteers on Pongola or Thanda will complete their bush training elements in the Intibane section of Thanda Game Reserve.  For this initial section of the project, students will be staying in bungalows or small dormitories with separate ablution facilities. Lectures and meals will be taken in the central communal area which also has a section to relax and read in whilst looking out on game around a distant waterhole. As the camp is unfenced to the rest of the reserve, movement between the accommodation and all communal areas is restricted to certain times and you must always walk in groups.  It is important that all students who come to this site are aware that Intibane is in a water restriction area due to poor rains over the last decade. Many of the local communities are dependant upon the same water source as you and so all participants are restricted to showers every second day and are asked to recycle water as much as possible. However, please be reassured that plenty of drinking water will always be available.

Students staying for the KZN bird surveys will remain in Intibane for the duration of their stay whilst students studying dissertations on elephant behaviour will move across to Pongola Game Reserve at the end of Week 1.  Pongola is a 30,000ha reserve containing all the normal game species except lion and is an up market lodge destination.  A research camp has been built with twin bedded accommodation and communal shower and toilet facilities.  There is a separate research centre and access to game vehicles and armed guards to complete the elephant surveys. All projects based at Pongola are coded SP and Thanda are coded ST.

Waterberg sites

This project is based on Welgevonden Private Game Reserve, which is situated in the heart of the recently declared UNESCO Waterberg Biosphere. Welgevonden is a leading reserve in sustainable ecotourism and is home to over 50 different mammals, including all of the Big Five plus giraffe, zebra, cheetah, brown hyena and leopard. Volunteers will be accommodated at the new research centre within the Reserve.  Accommodation is in canvas safari tents with shared ablution facilities.  The camp has a central dining and recreation area with a fully equipped kitchen with gas stove, oven, fridge and freezer.  Volunteers will prepare their own meals and are responsible for daily cleaning of the camp. Projects based in the Waterberg are coded SW.

Marine research facilities

Malongane Marine Research Centre 

This research centre, which was established in 2009 forms part of an existing dive centre with arguably the best access to reefs in southern Mozambique. Accommodation is in tents with communal toilet and shower facilities and computer facilities have been established.  Independent research boat launches have been organised to facilitate the research. Projects based at Malongane are coded MM
 

Sodwana Bay Marine Training Centre (General Surveyors only)

The Sodwana Bay Training Facilities have been developed within an existing dive centre in northern South Africa close to the Mozambique border and in a picturesque part of the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park. This marine reserve lies adjacent to Africa’s southern-most coral reefs.  Accommodation will be in tents, situated in a shaded bush camp. There is a toilet and shower block with hot and cold water and there will be pool facilities available for the confined water elements of the Open Water course.  The centre is fully equipped with speed boats and diving facilities.

General facilities and conditions

The weather is likely to be warm and sunny during the day (around 20 - 24 Celsius) but it will be cold at night (-5 to 10 Celsius) and it is likely to feel cold in the early mornings and evenings.  It is especially cold in the Waterberg (Welgevonden) and Mdluli Concession with temperatures dropping to below freezing at night.  There is unlikely to be much rain if any.  Water temperatures are likely to be around 19 - 23 Celsius.