Workshops with Local Kids with The Conservation Co | Tours in Gauteng with The Conservation Co for Volunteer work when you visit South Africa

Teach disadvantaged children the importance of preserving their natural heritage. Work with schools in the township, at orphanages and with street children and give them the gift of nature appreciation. You will play a part in skills development and environmental education which are key to conservation issues in Africa.

Projects and Duties:

Workshops in Local Schools: You will be involved in an exciting program for groups of kids of all ages. A team leader will run the workshop and each volunteer goes through a list of activities with groups of between 5-10 kids. This is very informal and the emphasis is on nature appreciation and biodiversity awareness. The kids love the interaction with volunteers in a relaxed and fun environment.

Environmental Club with Underprivileged Children: At least once a week you will meet with underprivileged kids who live and work on the streets or in an orphanage. Many of these kids have family issues. We hope to become an extended family to them, to help strengthen their self esteem and give them a sense of purpose and direction in their lives. Taking them on hikes, watching nature videos with them or tending to their garden are all part of the program.

Kids in Parks: Kids in Parks is run by the South African National Parks to provide children in South Africa with the opportunity to visit and experience one or more of the national parks. In addition to increasing awareness to national parks for kids, the program also seeks to give learners the opportunity to experience and interact with the wonder of our natural and cultural heritage and to explore the importance of its conservation. Volunteers assist wherever possible and will often go on field camps with the kids, or day trips to local areas of natural interest.

The Tembelitsha School Wetland Rehabilitation Project: The small wetland at Tembelitsha School is in dire need of help! The community‘s cattle break the surrounding fences to reach the lush wetland vegetation and damage the delicate ecosystem. In conjunction with the National Parks, the kids and the staff at Tembelitsha school, we are helping to rehabilitate this area by building a sturdy fence, clearing the alien invasive vegetation and litter and in doing so, educating the community about the importance of wetland eco systems.

The Team:
You will be hosted by The Conservation Co. Team on arrival and during your stay. We will provide you with all the training and support necessary for the Conservation Workshops for Kids. In addition to this you will interact with an incredible community of kids and leaders. The leaders of these programs are as enthusiastic about your involvement as we are.

Work Hours:
We work a full day from Monday to Friday. That means that you will have two days off a week to explore the area and catch up on your sun-bathing.

Accommodation and Surrounds:
There will be very little "roughing it" on this project. We place volunteers in fantastic backpackers quite literally on the beach! Buffalo Bay Backpackers is located next to a marine reserve and close to Buffalo Bay Beach which is the most popular surfing beach in the area.

Optional Trips:
We offer an optional five day trip to Storms river mouth and Addo Elephant Park. Experience the majesty of the Addo Elephant National Park. This is the only national park in the world where there is a possibility of seeing the Big 7! Home to the world"s most concentrated population of elephant, the Addo NP is renowned for its beauty and now has been extended to include a large stretch of marine reserve. Visitors may be exposed to the Big Five: Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard and Rhino, as well as the Blue and Southern Right Whales which migrate along the eastern coast.

The drive up to Addo is through the pristine Tsitsikama forest and the Eastern Cape Farmlands. We stop over at Storms River Mouth where there is the option to Bungee Jump the Highest Bungee in the Southern Hemisphere! You can also tube down the black water river, walk in the tree canopy and snorkel. We will be staying in chalets in the Storms River Mouth Reserve - one of the most beautiful marine-forest reserves in the area!