Bachelor's Level Conservation Research Internship in South Africa
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Travel to South Africa’s largest wildlife sanctuary, the Greater Kruger National Park, and research ways to protect its wildlife
This thrilling opportunity lets biology students gain incredible research experience while living and working in the Greater Kruger National Park alongside Africa’s most iconic wildlife.
This program places you with a long-standing environmental conservation organization with a research center situated in the Greater Kruger Park. This versatile organization engages in a range of wildlife management, landscape security, and community outreach projects all working towards one key objective: to support management in making informed decisions based on scientific evidence.
Research underpins all of the organization’s activities from anti-poaching units to vegetation control. As an intern, you’ll help conduct this research. There are multiple active projects at any time, so the focus of your internship depends on when you join and what you’re interested in. These projects could have you monitoring hyena populations, tracking temporal changes in vegetation, or developing elephant deterrents. Your findings can be used in a university thesis or published in peer-reviewed scientific journals too.
Learning objectives
- Real-world scientific research experience
- Practical in-field data collection skills
- Extensive knowledge of ecosystems within the Greater Kruger Park
- Insight into nonprofit wildlife conservation
- Findings can be used in a university thesis
ORGANIZATION
Transfrontier Africa is a long-standing wildlife conservation organization that works from its research facility in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa to develop wildlife management practices and strategies. They function as part of a network of wildlife research institutions to devise evidence-based projects to foster successful cohabitation of wildlife and local communities and respond to wildlife conservation crises.
Fueled by their research, the organization collaborates with management teams of wildlife parks and reserves, implements on-the-ground wildlife management and security strategies, and runs community outreach and education programs. With multiple projects on the go at any given time, the organization makes a tangible impact on the conservation of rare species, habitat protection, and anti-poaching efforts.
TASKS & REQUIreMENTS
Projects vary across the year, so the project you join depends on when you apply (see the projects we’re currently hiring for below). In any case, you’ll join a small team of two researchers and three field technicians and conduct independent research projects under the supervision of the research coordinator. Amidst a weekly schedule of team meetings, fieldwork, and short lectures on local wildlife when necessary, interns will conduct literature reviews, analyze data collected, and write reports.
Responsibilities
- In-field data collection and fieldwork such as collecting camera traps and mapping ecosystems
- Data processing and management
- Conducting literature reviews
- Writing methodologies, reports, and guideline documents
- Performing statistical tests and other kinds of data analysis
- Apply findings to real-world issues within the park and reserve management
- Give presentations among team members and possibly stakeholders
Requirements
- Studying towards a degree in biology, ecology, conservation science, or related field
- Advanced understanding of ecological systems
- Able to conduct literature reviews
- Familiarity with MS Office, R statistical program, and geographic information system software, with an interest in learning software for reporting and research
- Strong written and spoken communication with fluency in English
- Highly motivated and willing to work in remote field conditions
We are currently hiring for the following research projects:
Temporal Changes in Vegetation Structure and Communities
This project seeks to analyze vast data sets collected via fixed-point photography since 2019. The research aims to identify trends in vegetation phenology and identify the factors within the ecosystem that cause these trends.
Alien Vegetation Monitoring
This project seeks to study the effectiveness of control methods for invasive alien species, as these reduce biodiversity and disrupt ecological functions, being a threat to ecosystems and native species.
Wildlife Monitoring
This projects seeks to closely monitor threatened and iconic species (rhinos, wild dogs, Southern ground-hornbills, and vultures) and the data is shared with various conservation programs.
Ecological Carrying Capacity
This project seeks to yearly evaluate vegetation composition and density to assess the ecological carrying capacity of the reserve in order to compare to the game count data.
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Along with Predator Diet Analysis, Subterranean Waters, and Human-Elephant Conflict projects. Depending on your interest, you can be assigned to a specific project, assist an MSc/PhD student on their research, or assist in the general ecological monitoring with the research team. The available projects and where you may thrive best will be discussed with you during the application process.
WHERE YOU’LL STAY
Interns will stay at the Ndlovu Bush Camp in Olifants West Nature Reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park. The camp consists of basic but comfortable brick chalets with thatched roofs and shared rooms, an open-air communal area, a kitchen, open-air bathrooms, and a viewing deck. All chalets are equipped with rudimentary solar panels, but elec