Volunteer at The Kenya Bird of Prey Trust, Naivasha, Kenya

I decided to stay with The Kenya Bird of Prey Trust for one of my BSc internships. In total I stayed 2.5 months and as the title suggests, it was a transformative experience for me.

I choose the trust because I wanted to learn more about raptor conservation. And as I had hoped, I got to experience all facets of raptor conservation, whether it was rehabilitation, education or research, I was involved in all aspects! This allowed me to gain a complete understanding of what this working field is like.

The week I arrived I was immediately involved in the trapping and tagging of Augur buzzards. So during my first week I had already acquired skills and knowledge I will be able to use in my future career.

A lot of the work at the trust is hands on, which for me is the best way to learn! Besides working with the birds, I really enjoyed crafting hoods and working on nest boxes. None of this would be possible without the hospitality of my supervisors; Shiv and Jai. They often invited me over to their own place to work on the previously mentioned crafts. They even invited me over for lunch or dinner on multiple occasions. Furthermore, I was also given the trust to host the guided tours at the raptor centre. I learned how to educate groups of people in a professional manner.
I also often visited the clinic where I got to work with Juliet, the trust veterinarian. Being in the clinic taught me a lot about the injuries raptors often suffer and how to treat these.

I lived in the container complex on Kilimandege Sanctuary. The place is very comfortable and the view is incredible, waking up with zebra, dik-dik, waterbuck all right out front of the complex is the best!
The complex is complete and has everything you would need. Even when I was missing something or was in need of anything, Jai would make it his primary mission to make sure it would be handled. During my stay I built a tree-nursery at the complex, which will now become a part of volunteers daily work. This was any future volunteer can contribute to the improvement of Kilimandege Sanctuary by planting trees!

When you're not busy at the trust, there is plenty of cool places to explore. I visited Cresent Island, Hells Gate and my favourite experience has to be climbing Mount Longonot for my birthday together with Jai. After which Jai and Shiv cooked me the best pasta carbonara I've probably ever had.

Lastly I think my visit to the Soysambu Raptor Centre is one I should mention. I got to stay with Simon Thomsett for a week and it was an incredible experience. I got to handle some incredible raptors and learnt a lot of practical skills. I got to sleep in a treehouse and saw lions up close! Simon also has a very strong perspective on raptor conservation which again broadened my views and perspective.

I've learned a lot during my time at the trust and ultimately it has helped me figure out what direction I want to go in with my career!
I'm grateful and thankful to Shiv, Jai and the trust in its entirety for the incredible experience!

Spending 2 months with the KBOPT was such an honour and a privilege. I really felt like I was able to expand my practical skillset alongside my tertiary knowledge in ornithology and gained skills across various aspects of conservation, including, but not limited to, husbandry, research, education and outreach, basic veterinary skills, basic falconry, and more.

The team at The Trust were so incredibly supportive and attentive every moment if there was anything that needed attention or extra assistance. The volunteer compound on the sanctuary grounds was fantastic, had everything you could need, and everything was meticulously looked after.

As any conservation student knows, the hardest part is really gaining those practical skills and having those experiences while you're still studying, but this team on Kilimandege are so immensely helpful and willing to teach as long as you're willing to learn and apply yourself!

I can't thank the team at KBOPT enough for their time and support and I'm definitely going to miss being there! If you're studying ornithology/wildlife/conservation and you want to expand your skill set in an environment that wants to see you grow, this is the place!!!

My time at The Kenya Bird of Prey Trust was incredibly engaging, immersive, and educational. My time at The Kenya Bird of Prey Trust was incredibly engaging, immersive, and educational. There's nothing quite like falling asleep to Hyenas calling at night and waking up to Zebra, Waterbuck, and Thompson's gazelles outside the gate. I had the opportunity to explore many different aspects of conservation and raptor rehabilitation while enjoying the beauty of the Kilimandege Sanctuary. Shiv, Jai, and the entire KBoPT staff are incredibly kind and welcoming to people and ideas. They are eager to learn about what you are interested in and focus on growing your skills and experience in those fields. Whether you are interested in raptor conservation, education, wildlife veterinary/rehabilitation, or anything else close to those, the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust is where you should be! I had the opportunity to explore many different aspects of conservation and raptor rehabilitation while enjoying the beauty of the Kilimandege Sanctuary. Shiv, Jai, and the entire KBoPT staff are incredibly kind and welcoming to people and ideas. They are eager to learn about what you are interested in and focus on growing your skills and experience in those fields. Whether you are interested in raptor conservation, education, wildlife veterinary/rehabilitation, or anything else close to those, the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust is where you should be!

I spent four weeks volunteering at the Naivasha Raptor Centre. I gained lots of hands-on experience in raptor rehabilitation and conservation methods in Kenya. From working in the clinic to conducting fish eagle surveys, building nest boxes, and assisting with lion monitoring, each day brought something new. I had no prior experience working with birds, but if you are curious and open to stepping outside your comfort zone, the work is rewarding and the staff is supportive. This experience deepened my understanding of conservation and gave me practical skills that I can carry with me into any environmental work.