South Africa is one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world. It is home to almost half the species found in southern Africa, including many endangered animals and plants.

South Africa’s varied climate and terrain support a rich array of habitats, from temperate forests to deserts and mountains. South Africa’s protected areas cover more than 40% of its land area, an area larger than France or Spain. These protected areas are vital for protecting biodiversity and providing critical habitat for many rare species. The country also has a strong network of nature reserves and other protected areas managed by government departments and non-profit organizations such as the National Parks Board, Fish Eagle Trust and the Department of Environmental Affairs.

South Africa has made great progress in conserving its natural resources in recent decades. However, it is still vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation caused by human activities such as agriculture, mining and urban development.

Environmental conservation volunteers can contribute in many ways to these exciting and sustainable environmental projects. One of the focuses of these projects is on the running of environmental educational camps for children and the youth of South Africa. Outreach and awareness programs for children from impoverished communities have been a major focus of these projects.

Volunteers will be based near the environmental centers and will assist with everyday maintenance and conservation of the reserves as well as helping to run environmental camps for children. Activities could include outdoor hikes on the nature reserves, lecture series and camping out with the children. The outreach activities would take the volunteers to impoverished schools to assist with the Eco-Schools program. Maintenance and upkeep of the facilities, as well as painting and maintaining the educational resource centers, could also form part of the volunteer tasks.

Tasks and activities Include:

• Assisting and running environmental education camps for children and youth
• General upkeep of facilities, maintenance and upgrading of Centre’s
• Obstacle course repairs and maintenance
• Assisting with the Eco-Schools program
• Interacting with the children (games etc)
• Painting of walls and murals
• General Administration tasks

• Location: Capetown
• Volunteering schedule: Monday-Fri
• Commitment: 3-12 weeks

The ideal volunteer is a friendly, enthusiastic team player who would function well on their own as well as in teams. As a lot of the work is outdoors, volunteers would need at appreciate the weather and be prepared to handle extreme temperatures.