Author: Bushwise Student

This blog was written by Bushwise student Trevor Hinze, whose week as camp manager coincided with the first week of game drives. 

Read time: 4 mins

To kick things off, I will be honest; I didn’t know what to expect as a camp manager since this week felt more official than week 1. 

This week would be different since we all had to conduct our own game drive and our fellow students as the guests. We would be split up into two groups, namely group A and group B. I was in group B and Sipihwe was driving us in the morning, and Slon in the afternoon. 

Starting the week right: game drives!

On Monday, we started the first day at 06:30 in the morning on the game viewers. Sipihwe was our lucky charm today because we barely made it out of the gate when we bumped into lions. One male and the other a female. They were quite relaxed, even in our presence. We didn’t see anything else – except a hooded vulture – during the morning drive.

 When we got back to the campus at 10:00, we had a lecture about weather and climate by none Trevor Myburgh – who makes any lecture entertaining and enjoyable. After lunch we were assembled by Louise for a couple of photos for our future CVs. 

At 15:00 we went on another game drive, this time with Slon driving us and he showed great driving capabilities over some of the harsher stuff. We didn’t find anything of particular interest. 

Learning some animal track and sign

Trevor did show off his exceptional guiding skills. We stopped by a “ rhino postmark “. Trevor told us about how a rhino will defecate in the same spot to mark his territory. He also explained that rhinos will walk with their hind legs into their own feces and start walking. In this way he marks out his territory. In the late evening we saw a lone elephant bull just calmly feeding along the fence line. Man, it was quite a day..

Tuesday was quite an uneventful day. Apart from 04:00 in the morning, when the lions roared next to the campus fence line at the airstrip. However, I was also woken up by Chulu – who had to pack warm drinks and snacks in preparation for his game drive – and Jacques, who would be driving those of us in group B. 

The drive was very quiet with no sightings. We had a lecture on ecology from Darren after the drive. In the afternoon, Annemie spoke to us about hospitality and wines and she gave us some great tips.

Being a good field guide = being a good host

On Wednesday group A got very lucky on their morning game drive. They had a brief glimpse of a young female leopard. Meanwhile, us in group B spent a wonderful 20 minutes with a spotted hyena. 

Biomes was the lecture for Wednesday and it was done by the Francios, who explained each biome and its “flagship species” in great detail. Other than that not much happened on our afternoon drives except for going over some trees and plants and some of their different medicinal uses.

Finally my chance to lead game drives…!

On Thursday, it was finally my chance to guide a game drive. I mostly did the driving, while Francios did the guiding. I started out a bit shaky, but got the hang of things a little while into the game drive. 

After the game drive, at 10:30 we left for the Hoedspruit Reptile Center where we were taught a few things about snakes and we got to watch the dissection of a giant plated lizard that had been dead for six months. Some of us, including me, couldn’t handle the smell! All in all, it was quite a good but busy day. 

Ending the week on a high note

On Friday, things went a little different than usual. As Flora was driving us around, Francios suggested that we walk back to the campus from where we were in the field. The campus was about a kilometer away when we stopped and started the walk on this cold morning. 

We made it back safely to the campus without, unfortunately, seeing any animals except for a few birds including the African Stone Chat. At around 10:30 we did a few revision tests on the lectures we received during the week.

I loved my week as Camp Manager and for being one to such an awesome group of people as well as outstanding trainers.

Have you ever wanted to drive a game viewer in the African bush? Join a Bushwise course and learn how you too can have this much fun in the African bushveld.

#lion #AdvancedRifleHandling #gameranger #bushwise #fieldguide #safariguide #trailsguide #training #guidejobs #tracks #apprenticefieldguide #safari #fieldguiding #tracking #trackandsign #gamedrive #guiding #elephant #fieldguidecourse #fieldguides

BY: Luke Potterton

Camp manager blogs are written by our current students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

Living in the bush is an amazing and unique experience, there is always something to be learnt. Whether it’s about yourself or the environment in which you live in. I find that when I am in nature, I am at my calmest, I am able to reflect on who I am and what I want to achieve in the future.

I have gone from living in the city of Cape Town to living in the middle of the bush, African savannah, in Limpopo, and going on game drives every day learning about every single aspect of the bush, whether it is learning about the mammals, trees, reptiles and even the insects.

When I started at Bushwise, I did not know what to expect. I was asking myself questions like, what will the other students be like? What are the trainers going to be like? And will I not get tired of the bush since I will be there 24/7?

Now that we are coming to an end of the course, I have the answers to these questions. From day one I have enjoyed every single minute at Bushwise, even though I have to admit that waking up at 5am nearly every morning does take some getting used to. The people I have met on this course have become family, although we may not always get along. 

At the end of the day, these people are the only other people who went through the same experience as me and we will always have one another’s backs. I have made some great friendships that I am sure will last for a lifetime. 

By being at Bushwise I have met many unique characters and people from different cultures. I thoroughly enjoy learning about where people come from and learning about their cultures. The training at Bushwise has been remarkable and the trainers have created good relationships with every student and are able to provide the support and structure needed from students.

While being at Bushwise, I have learnt that it’s impossible to get bored of the bush; every day is a unique experience and I always seem to learn something while I’m out here. I have learnt that no matter how different one animal or species might be, they are all connected in one way or another.

I have done things in the past six months that I would never think I would do in my whole life. From assisting in conservation to learning to safely handle rifles.

Seeing conservation in action was a truly special and unique experience. Not many people in their lifetime will have the opportunity to assist reserve management with their projects. We got to see big game animals up close and personal, in a way I couldn’t otherwise imagine. Being able to do this was truly a humbling experience and puts the beauty of nature into perspective.

As I reflect on where I was in January and where I am now, I am amazed by the amount I have grown personally and the knowledge I have attained while attending Bushwise. When we were initially told the course itinerary and what we were going to be doing throughout the course, it felt rather stressful. I thought I would definitely not be able to learn all the trees as well as the birds in the area. However, now as I reflect on the amount I have learnt, it is truly astounding. 

Does living in the African savannah, learning all about its wildlife, sound like an amazing experience to you? Follow Luke’s footsteps and apply today to join a Bushwise course.

#gameranger #bushwise #fieldguide #qualification #safariguide #trailsguide #astronomy #safari #fieldguidetrainer #fieldguiding #gamedrive #guiding #fieldguidecourse #studying #fieldguides

BY Juandre Grobler, Bushwise field guide student

Camp manager blogs are written by our current students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow field guide students) for a period of one week.

When I first arrived at Bushwise I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I was just out of school and suddenly taking this big step into adulthood. For an introvert like myself, it’s extremely difficult to meet new people and make friends. Being surrounded by new field guide students and trainers in a whole new area far from home was very overwhelming.

From the start, the trainers were all very generous and helpful. I could easily talk to them, and they are understanding. With all this stress and pressure, they introduced us to our campus and made us feel at home even though we were far from our own. We started off with extremely fun and entertaining activities like a snake lecture (and handling)  and experienced our very first game drive with Bushwise.

Track and sign was my favourite activity by far. It’s all about understanding what happened at a certain spot and creating a story, and thinking like an animal. It’s an amazing experience and to get a level for it felt pretty satisfying. 

I was totally amazed to see Colin Patrick and his dog Koda in action and how well mannered and trained she is. Alongside the fun of the practical experience, we worked through the theory. It’s a lot of work, which scared us at first, but with the support of our trainers we all passed our exams with flying colours. 

During my time here as a field guide student, I have learned a lot of things. How to safely and responsibly use a rifle as a trails guide. How to drive a 2.5-tonne vehicle up and down mountains with ease, while keeping all of my guests safe and comfortable. How to professionally serve guests and be positive even if I’m stressed or tired. There are so many things that I learned– both for the industry and for my personal life. You definitely get to look at life in a different way. 

In our free time, we still got up to a lot, like getting rid of a wasps’ nest that caused an outage in one of the rooms. Listening to music and doing exercises in front of someone’s room without even realising they were sleeping. Searching and using our skills in tracking to find a kill from a leopard. And even though we all come from different histories and lives, we all come together as one big family and sit around the fire at night and share our stories. What an experience.

The staff are definitely the heart of Bushwise. The amount of advice and support they give us is inexplicable. They treat us as friends and shape our guiding characters. Without them, I don’t think this campus would be the way that it is. You can truly see that they have a passion for what they are doing and that they really care for students. They know when to be friends, and when to be professional. Rose, Pulane, Iris and Philip are kind people that you want to be friends with as they look after us and campus. With our time as students on Bushwise coming closer to an end, it’s beginning to feel sad here as this place has grown on us. 

I would recommend Bushwise to anyone who would want to be in the industry. At first it’s scary, but you soon become a family and meet amazing people. You also learn a lot of things in a short time and doing this course is worth every cent. 

From new graduate to field guide student – does this sound like you? Chat with us and start your field guide journey!

#bushwise #fieldguide #qualification #safariguide #safari #fieldguiding #fieldguidecourse #studying #fieldguides

Divan Mclachlan and Heindre Gericke, students on a Bushwise course, recall some of their favourite experiences so far – including learning about the night sky with astronomy expert Ben Coley. In this blog, we share their experiences, and their newfound appreciation for the night sky.

Camp manager blogs are written by our current students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

Divan: I have been lucky to be part of a Bushwise course and to be with my fellow students for the past five months. I never would have thought that this campus would be so fun. This place will always have a special place in my heart. 

Every day is a busy day some will say, but I believe that if you’re passionate about something you will never work a day in your life. I love the bushveld that’s why I am here at Bushwise. The things I’ve seen on game drives many people will never see. I have seen epic sightings and all of the Big Five here at Bushwise.

Hiendre: There is nothing more special (and cold) than sitting on the back of a Cruiser on your way to the game reserve and not knowing what the bush holds for you today. One of my favourite weeks started out like any other, getting on the back of the Cruiser with my friend and singing “Tell me why” by the Backstreet Boys while we were driving to Makalali Game Reserve. After our quick karaoke session, we arrived at the main gate where we saw the two cheetahs who live in that area right at the gate. That’s when you just know it’s going to be a good week.

Divan: I have already done so much and my knowledge is growing everyday. Like they say, you learn something new every day – from the jokes on coffee stops to the focused game drives. I have also made friends that will stay with us forever in the field guiding industry. The trainers have always looked after us and pushed us to do our best.

I used to know just 20 birds. Now I know over 100, which is incredible and I am still learning. We go on game drives almost every day and we always see something different – from the tiniest little termites to the biggest elephants. It’s always nice to learn something new about even the tiniest creature. 

I also love sitting around the boma at the end of the day with a nice fire. Listening to stories and telling them just to have a little laugh are the moments I’ll always appreciate. 

Hiendre: One of the highlights so far was when Ben Coley visited our campus and gave an introduction to astronomy course.

We learnt how ancient civilisations used the stars to find direction and to know when to harvest and plant crops. The constellation used to determine the best time to harvest crops was Libra because it would rise just before winter. 

We also learnt the amazing story of Canis Major and Canis Minor. Canis Major was Laelaps the dog who caught whatever it wanted, and Canis Minor was the Teumessian fox that could never be caught. Laelaps was sent to hunt down the Teumesiian fox, but Zeus realised that the hunt would continue for eternity. So he turned them into stone and placed them in the sky/ These are the constellations we see today. The irony is that they still continue the chase because Canis Minor rises an hour before Canis Major in the winter sky. 

We also learnt about the battle between Hercules and the Nemean Lion and how Hercules had to strangle it because it could not be harmed by any man-made weapon. After Hercules killed the lion, he took its skin and made a cloak because of its protective abilities. Leo was then placed in the sky as a reminder of Hercules’ heroism and bravery.

Divan: The astronomy course we did with Ben was so interesting. We  learnt all the wonderful stories of the 12 constellations and the zodiac signs, as well as some extras like the big and small hunting dogs of Orion, Canis Major and Canis Minor. There is still so much that we still need to learn about space. Right now we think that Earth is the only planet with life on it, but there are so many  unexplored galaxies and a number of them might have planets with life on them. It’s incredible.

Hiendre: After Ben told us about the constellations in our skies, we looked at a few of them through his telescope. The one that surprised me the most was the Jewel Box constellation that is located next to  the Southern Cross. Seeing it through our eyes, it  looks like a mere blur of light. But when you look at it through a telescope, you can see an amazing number of stars.

I have had the best time here at Bushwise and can’t wait to see what the rest of the course holds for me and my friends.

Divan: I have enjoyed every moment on this Bushwise course. The staff are friendly and patient, and the trainers are top tier – I wouldn’t swap my trainers for anyone else, not even for a million bucks. I will make the most of my remaining time with Bushwise, knowing the memories will never fade. I am looking forward to what the future has in store for me.

Astronomy lessons, campfires, game drives and new friends – they’re all part of the Bushwise course experience. Apply today and join one of our upcoming courses.

#bushwise #fieldguide #stars #safariguide #astronomy #apprenticefieldguide #fieldguidecourse

Bushwise student Tasia Simons shares her experiences during Bushwise field guide training, learning from experts in the industry.

Camp manager blogs are written by our current students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

A brief introduction about myself. My name is Tasia and I’m 23 years old. I’ve always had a passion for wildlife and knew from a young age I wanted to work in and with nature. Being a little introverted, I thought being a field guide would be too difficult but I forced myself out of my comfort zone. Soon I realised how much I love working with people and getting to tell stories about South Africa’s incredible wildlife.

I was nervous to join Bushwise but heard only positive stories about them and so I took a leap of faith and signed up. Upon arrival, I immediately relaxed, the trainers were warm and welcoming, and I felt at home straight away.

Finally it’s my turn to be camp manager and get a taste of what it’s like to “run” things for a week. During my week as camp manager, I got to experience doing track and sign with my group which included meeting the k9 unit and watching them work. We also got to learn about responsible resource use, and the amazing work that’s being done to give back to the community and sustain our land for future use.

Let’s jump into track and sign this week. When you’re in field guide training you soon hear stories about the best of the best in this industry. Colin Patrick was one of those names that came up often. He led our track and sign course, which was both exciting and terrifying at the same time.

In the beginning of the week Colin told us to trust him, which I really wanted to do, but could I possibly learn so many tracks and signs in just one week? I decided that if I really put my heart into it and worked hard, then I could get a level (you can earn level one, two or three in the assessment). From Monday to Wednesday we spent hours every day staring at the floor so on Thursday we had a little bit of a break and went to meet the K9 unit.

Running through the bush trailing someone’s scent with a Belgian malinois tugging on the lead is an experience I will never forget. Putting all your trust in a dog and letting it do its work was incredible. There’s so many hours of training these dogs go through, but this is what they live for, they absolutely love it. The excitement the dog gets from finding someone at the end of the trail and making their handler proud really gives you goosebumps. We then got to see the dog track down a 1.2km scent trail, they did that in two minutes and eight seconds!

We spent a few hours with the K9 unit and I’m sure we’ll all be talking about our experience for a long time. For me personally, I realised how much I admire what these dogs do for us and our wildlife conservation. We enjoyed our break from tracking but the following day was the test and we were all worried whether we would get a level or not. I went in with the mentality to have fun and I was already proud with how much I had learnt throughout the week.

At the end of the day, all our hard work had paid off and we all walked away with a Cybertracker track and sign level.

The following week we started with responsible resource use. As field guide training students we were all excited to learn how we could help towards the preservation of our land and resources and one day be able to share this knowledge with our future guests. We went to locally owned cafes and we met farmers who are helping in their own way to give back to the communities and create job opportunities as well as using the land responsibly.

It was a great learning experience being camp manager for the week and I’m so glad Bushwise came up with so many ways to keep us learning. It’s nearly time for the semester to end now and, although we all look forward to the short break, we also can’t wait to get back and learn more!

Do you want to train with the best of the best? Apply now and soon you could be part of this incredible field guide training experience!

#gameranger #bushwise #safariguide #trailsguide #apprenticefieldguide #safari #fieldguidetrainer #fieldguiding #tracking #cybertracker #trackandsign #gamedrive

BY: Wana Bezuidenhout

Camp manager blogs are written by our current students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

Starting the Bushwise Field Guide course is one of the best life choices one could make.  Not only because it’s a dream come true – it’s also the start of future and lifelong bonds with like-minded people. It’s the knowledge that is shared between passionate trainers and students that are eager to learn. It’s the excitement of seeing the growth in your fellow students in only one semester.

So far during this course, we have experienced so much excitement and seen so much effort go into each and every day. We’ve spent days learning how life will be as a field guide and our daily game drives have delivered the best sightings. We’ve all become more aware of our surroundings and what nature has to offer us – trees, plants, grasses, birds, insects, and mammals.

From day one we immediately became one big “bush-loving” family. Each of us brought our unique personalities and thoughts. We’ve learnt how to work together and be team players – whether that means waking up at four in the morning to get coffee and snacks ready for the morning game drive, or helping team members change a flat tyre.

One memory I will never forget was a morning where a few of us were sitting at the dining room table taking a short study break, when we heard the sounds of a car on the main road just outside the campus. After the heavy rain the previous day we knew the road would be wet, and the sounds coming from the car indicated that it was stuck in the mud. We decided to go outside and have a look, in case it was students coming back from town.

Three of us offered to help, and saw it wasn’t other students, but rather some of our neighbours in their bakkie (pickup truck). With a lot of muscle and some quick thinking, we managed to get their bakkie out, and sent them on their way. Covered in mud, the three of us returned to camp with a memory that will last a lifetime.

There is not one moment in a day that I would replace. Every day has been full of memories and my fellow students have become family, so that even the silliest stories around the campfire are interesting. I have a smile on my face every night, often laughing so hard that my tummy still hurts the following day, simply from being a part of something so amazing.

Game drives will always be my favourite part of the day. This is where we learn the practical knowledge needed to become field guides. Lessons include knowing what to do in certain situations and how to share your knowledge with guests. Each student is given the opportunity to practice their game drives, and through each one we learn new things and see nature from their perspective.

Being a Bushwise student definitely changes you for the better. It teaches you how to work together as a team and take on responsibilities. Take our camp duties as an example. Everyone is separated into teams and has specific duties allocated to their group on a weekly rotation basis. I’m enjoying being part of a big team of people with the same interests as me. It offers us the opportunity to see things from a different perspective while adding stories and sharing knowledge.

Every day at Bushwise is a gift, something unforgettable. I am truly blessed to be part of this wonderful “bush-loving” family. There is something new to learn every day. I’ve never found time spent in nature and its surroundings to be a waste of time. My wish is that I stay like this: having a love for nature and passing it on to each and every person I meet. Nature reveals beautiful parts of ourselves we could not find anywhere else.

Do you want to find your bush family like Wana? Apply today and get started on a similar path towards becoming a field guide.

#gameranger #bushwise #fieldguide #apprenticefieldguide #gamedrive #fieldguidecourse

BY: Hannah Brandsma

Camp manager blogs are written by our current students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week.

The first few weeks with Bushwise Field Guides could not have been more exciting! For starters, we got out of the classroom and began doing morning and evening game drives. This meant we were up at 4:30am and in bed only by 11:00pm, depending on how much work and studying needed to be done in between.

Learning about the different aspects of the bush practically from game viewers and theoretically in the classroom has been an incredible experience for all of us. This is especially true for me, being from a big city. We have all started to learn this beautiful new language that very few are privileged to know – the language of the bush.

Photo by Hannah Brandsma

Now this isn’t just any language that just anyone can learn. This language involves every sense you have as well as your knowledge and understanding of nature, and your ability to interpret what you observe.

From interpreting the fresh tracks of a lion to listening to the sounds of the birds; from noticing the smallest broken twig to inhaling the unmistakable smell of an animal; each observation allows us to gain insight into what we see, smell, feel, and hear.

We’ve tasted the fruits of the white berry bush, smelled the dung of a white rhino, heard the sound of red-billed oxpeckers and seen the difference between a male and female lion track. All of these letters of this very unique alphabet will eventually become our common language, for us to interpret to the visitors of this amazing landscape.

Photo by Hannah Brandsma

I am also enjoying the amount of photographic content I am getting. This is a photographer’s utopia – no sighting or image is ever exactly the same. Through my lens I can take a snapshot that will freeze a moment in time, telling a story about a small piece of this landscape and the unique life and characters within it. From wildlife to wild flowers, the colour and variation is endless. I come back from every drive excited to go through my photos and share these amazing moments.

We have all become acquainted with our wild neighbours that live with us on campus. There’s the honey badgers that help themselves to the leftovers in the fridge (who never seem to mind that we’re studying just a few metres away).

There’s the security frogs that live in the toilets and around the doors of the bedrooms, sounding out the alarm when a human approaches (thankfully, they make sure the insect population is kept in check).

Photo by Louise Pavid

There’s the occasional porcupine that comes to visit some nights. And of course Bounce, the habituated (but still very wild!) bushbaby who enjoys frightening students by jumping onto heads or shoulders while we walk under the trees.

Our noisy neighbours are a bit more distant. From camp we hear the laughter of zebras and the clan calls of hyenas. Sometimes we can even hear a lion pride announcing their movements. Training with Bushwise is an experience like no other, with the sounds and sights of the bush on our doorstep.

What makes this whole new adventure one thousand times better are the people with whom I’m sharing these amazing stories and sights. We have all become good friends, with laughs, jokes and banter through thick and thin.

Photo by Louise Pavid

I’m surrounded by these insanely amazing people who I’m so fortunate to call friends, and I feel as though we have been through so much together in such a short time. They are always ready with a quick joke – but just as ready to offer help when it’s needed.

Without the people I am training with (the trainers and my peers) it would be simply a good experience. These humans have made these first few weeks absolutely unforgettable and I am grateful that I am here with them. I can’t wait to see how we evolve over the next few months. The fun and memories are only just beginning!

Do you want to start making memories that last a lifetime, and learn the language of the bush like Hannah? Apply today and get started!

#Birding #fieldguide #apprenticefieldguide #fieldguidetrainer #trackandsign #gamedrive #fieldguidecourse