Unforgettable year long experience

This was the very first step of one incredible journey! First arriving in Nature’s Valley, driving down that gorgeous Groot River Pass, smelling the forest, and all the peaceful sounds of nature is truly amazing. I have made that trip many times since and it gets even more beautiful every time! The staff at NVT were incredible mentors during my time there, providing support from beginning to end, and really opened my eyes to new things and pushed me into new directions. The internship itself was more than I could have hoped for providing continuous new opportunities and ensuring you feel like you are always learning. I was incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to get involved with bird ringing project and hope to continue that in some way in the future. The internship was very well organised, especially being able to get involved in not only the research projects (fynbos walks, bird ringing, estuary monitoring and fish surveys, shorebird fieldwork, marine tracking, and much more) but also the Environmental Education Programme. Assisting on the Adopt-A-Beach programme was really rewarding, getting to teach learners from three different schools about South Africa’s wonderful and important coastal and marine environment. The education side also involves the other birding master’s programme, clean-ups, environmental calendar days, outings, eco-school groups, camps and more. There is never a dull moment in our schedule and always something to get involved in which is great.

The internship and all those involved throughout the year helped mould me into a new person with an even greater passion for environmental education and helping to inspire the younger generation. The practical experience gained was also fantastic, something that has put me in good standing since. I have never felt more at home than in the Valley, surrounded by nature in its purest form and all the incredible individuals that went along with that! I hope to take all I have learnt from this experience and put it to good use out there in the world, to try make a little difference.

Highly recommend to anyone with an interest in wildlife, science, and conservation. An incredible experience that you will cherish for life. South Africa is a stunning country, and Nature’s Valley is its hidden gem!