African Ecology & Conservation Field Program in South Africa

Overall my experience on the African Ecology and Conservation program (AEC) for Spring 2025 has been absolutely amazing. I am so sad that the program ends in a few days. Going into this program, I was looking forward to expanding upon my current field work skills, connecting and forming friendships with others, and obviously seeing the Big 5. Thankfully, I can say that I got all that and more.

There's so much that happens in one OTS semester that it can be hard to unpack all of it and look back on it, especially when writing a review. But the professors and staff here have been so amazing and so supportive and so have my classmates. Field work was so fun but was definitely also challenging (mostly due to the hot weather) and our homestay definitely pushed me way outside of my comfort zone. However, it was so interesting and cool to see how the people in Guyuni village lived life and it was amazing how welcoming they were to us.

When not conducting field work, writing essays, practicing presentations, and more, our group tended to prefer to go on game drives. We would get up at 6am, sometimes earlier, and do our best to spot the animals first. It was always a good time, even on the days where we barely saw anything or when the wind chill in the back of the GDV made it feel way colder than it actually was.

The food was great and the accommodations were nice. Fair warning, there may be some locations where you have to share a room with 5 other people, if not more. Sometimes there would be as little as 2 total sharing a room. It can be challenging for some to navigate having that many roommates, but thankfully that wasn't as much of a problem for us.

Overall, I really do suggest going on this program. The sights, experiences, and the people absolutely make the program and I had fun working on all of our assignments, despite how stressful it could be. Myself and some other students are even planning on staying an extra week to go to Cape Town as our spring break location ended up being in St. Lucia (which was such a cute town).

OTS's program is the epitome of "once in a lifetime." The access granted to the program by South African National Parks allows students to do research directly in Kruger National Park, walking through the savanna with zebras and giraffes watching from a few hundred feet away! The staff are all incredibly accommodating and do everything in their power to not only make you feel welcome and safe, but to push you to grow as a student and a scientist, fostering an environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions. The views, both of the landscapes and animals, are indescribable. I wish I could retake this program every year.

A few things of interest: The food is FANTASTIC. I would do anything to eat that food again, the catering service staff are geniuses. There are only a few times (a week max) in which there is no phone service, and honestly the "forced" break from technology was pretty nice. The accommodations are super comfortable, with AC for those super hot days! I honestly have no big complaints.

After nearly twenty-four hours of travel, I landed in the Johannesburg Airport. My excitement overcame my nerves while driving to the backpacker’s hotel to meet my twelve new classmates for the next three months. Recollecting on this moment, I could not have comprehended how these people, brought together from around the United States and South Africa would soon become so much more than my classmates. They are my collaborators, supporters, and incredible friends.

The Skukuza Science Leadership Initiative (SSLI) in Skukuza, Kruger National Park was our home and base location for the program. Though safely surrounded by a fence, we fell asleep and woke to the calls of hyenas and lions in the distance, showered in the presence of kudu and waterbuck, and consciously protected our bananas from the local vervet monkeys. Our lectures on savanna ecology, evolution, or statistical analyses supplemented the knowledge we gained while working in the field. In groups of three to four we completed long-term research projects with topics ranging from microplastic pollution in river systems to differences in the species richness of birds between sites of varying levels of controlled herbivory.

We left the park and drove to the village of Venda in the north east corner of South Africa. In groups of three we said goodbyes to our friends and departed for four days in rural homestays. Equipped with my camera, two pairs of clothes, and a toothbrush I walked through the gate into our homestay family’s yard in the Sanari village. For the next four days we learned to cook traditional meals of pap with spinach or mopane worms, collected and carried wood (on our heads) from the bush, and spent many hours each day playing with over fifty local kids. Each night we fell asleep on hand woven grass mats and woke to the rooster’s call and the chiming of goat bells. Even with a wonderful translator, language remained a barrier, but the human ability to connect over a smile or gesture became profound. Being surrounded by people filled with generosity, pride, joy, and an incredibly rich sense of community has touched me in ways I have yet to realize.

My time in South Africa with OTS was informative, fun, and truly life changing. I highly recommend this program for anyone with a sense of adventure, love for learning, and drive to connect to people and nature alike.

My study abroad experience in South Africa was an illuminative experience for me. During those two months, I was surrounded 24/7 by scientists interested in ecology and conservation. I was welcomed into OTS with open arms. South Africa made me learn more about the similarities that’s unites people together, and the problems going on in the world outside of my usual realm of living. Being surrounded by such like-minded people that cared about the environment re-solidified my dreams and hopes for my own future. OTS also handled the COVID-19 situation as appropriately as possible to manage our safety, and look out for our student group.

If you have a spirit of adventure and are passionate about conservation, if you want to get gritty in the field and think deeply about issues, and if you want an academic challenge--I definitely recommend this program! OTS is an incredible experience. The staff are all extremely knowledgeable and it's a privilege to learn from them. I was afraid that traveling so much around South Africa would make it hard to acclimate to any one place or get to know people, but OTS got the balance just right (although I would have liked to stay at any place longer). We really got to experience it all: from long days in the field to days in the lab. We learned constantly and still had the agency to devise our own projects for our capstones. I know my science writing skills in particular are drastically improved! The food was amazing and I always had options, even as a vegan. The program was really well organized and conceived to leave us with maximum impact, and then of course for fall break in Cape Town we were free to do whatever we wanted.

Just as a fair warning, OTS will keep you busy and there's very little free time. The good news is that what you learn is extremely interesting and includes game drives to appreciate the incredible animal diversity in Kruger (and beyond). There is a lot of stress that can come from high academic rigor and the unique situation of being inside a national park with the "Big 5"--and I think this is important to consider. This program can be tough due to compact group size (which is also one of its charms) and rural sites which make some amenities hard to reach. The focus on this program is also overwhelmingly science based!

Still, I honestly cannot imagine a better semester abroad and I'm so glad I chose this program! Now it's your turn :)

This program is superb. You will travel to many incredible places around the country, and see diverse landscapes. You will have the opportunities to hike, jump off cliffs, surf, and more. The wildlife is incredible, and you will have encounters ranging from massive elephants right next to you to catching gerbils in traps. The staff are amazing. They are friendly and helpful, and easy to talk to in both academic and social contexts. The people I interacted with on this trip come from many different backgrounds, and you will stay in touch with them for years to come as they become family. This trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that allows you to see South Africa and its ecosystems as a scientist and not just a tourist. 10/10 recommend.

I was interested in the OTS South Africa program since my freshman year in college, and then finally chose to apply for my junior spring and could not have been happier about it. I wanted a program that would challenge me academically, as well as not be in a traditional classroom setting. The mobile classroom style of OTS was so engaging, and it was a really great learning experience for me personally to be having lectures out in the field, visiting museums and historical sites, and gathering all of our own data directly for analysis. On top of the ecology and conservation aspects, the incorporation of history and culture in the curriculum made me understand more of the socioeconomic dynamics of South Africa, and how these dynamics affect conservation of wildlife and wild spaces now and in the future.

This program provided an involved and dynamic look into what constitutes a career as an ecologist. We traveled all over South Africa, gaining experience in many different settings and ecosystems. The program takes advantage of the expertise and wildlife located in Kruger National Park, research facilities, and other academic institutions to give rounded understanding of the country's ecology. It allows students the independence to develop their own style of research and writing, while still providing enough guidance. The academics involved are clearly passionate about their work and are enthusiastic to share this with the students. We were also given an in-depth view of the history and culture of South Africa, which was a unique and integral part of our education. My experience with OTS was formative and unforgettable. I am grateful to have attended this program and would highly recommend it to anyone.