Desert Elephant Conservation Namibia

This project is based around the beautiful Desert Elephants of Namibia, helping to ensure their survival alongside the local landowners and farmers, building protection around vital resources and carrying out important field research and observation on these mammals.

You will divide your time between building protective structures around communal water points, creating additional water points for elephants, researching elephant movements and compiling identikits on herds and individuals. This is a fantastic experience for anyone who has an adventurous streak and a love of the ‘Great Outdoors’, as well as a desire to make a really positive impact on the future of the African Elephants.

Project Age Limit
Minimum 18 years, maximum dependant upon participants’ health.

The Volunteer Programme
Our project takes you to the northwestern regions of the Namib Desert, traditionally known as ‘Damaraland’. This harsh tribal wilderness area runs parallel to the skeleton coast national park and is home to a small population of desert-adapted elephants.

Namibia is one of the only countries in the world that has a growing elephant population. While most people agree that this is a good thing, it also causes problems for the people that live in the areas the elephants are returning to.

Elephants are moving further and further south every year. Land that used to be privately owned and fenced off has been opened up and turned into conservancies. This allows elephants (as well as other large animals) to roam freely around large parts of the country. These changes have happened very rapidly and people living in the areas now frequented by elephants are experiencing problems through the destruction of windmills and water dams, invariably in the search for water.

As the elephants are still adapting to their newfound freedom and the vast areas of land now open to them, their movements and habits are still transient and largely unknown.

Your Role as a Volunteer
This project works directly with the local community in protecting vulnerable structures from damage. We believe that education is an important tool in safeguarding the future of desert elephants and therefore also helps in supporting local schools with efforts ranging from rebuilding toilets and showers to building a computer network from donated computers, to educating pupils on the environment, local ecosystem and in particular the desert elephants.

Tracking and monitoring the herds is another important function performed by the project, enabling us to compile identikits of local herds and bulls and to map their movement patterns. Through this knowledge we are able to assist the Ministry of Environment and Tourism with solving problems the elephants create. Our volunteer project is real, pioneering conservation work, consisting of building defensive measures around vulnerable structures as well as joining our members out on patrol, helping monitor the elephants.

The Desert Elephant project is made up of two parts based upon 2-week rotations. These are as follows:

The Building Project: You will first join a team in building walls around vitally important water sources for Damaraland homesteads. The walls are built to protect water pumping facilities: a borehole, solar panel and pump or windmill. The elephants are given access to the water at certain points, thus preventing them from damaging the pumping mechanics and allowing the farmers access to the clean, fresh water.

You will spend one week at the building site working on the wall, which is made from local stone and cement brought in by the project. Facilities are very basic, with only the minimum of equipment and supplies for the week. You will be camping and all cooking is done over the fire, with everybody sharing camp duties. It is extremely intense work in the heat of the African sun doing hard physical labour, but you will undoubtedly finish the week with a great sense of achievement. The weekend is then spent relaxing at the base camp in the Ugab River.

The Trekking and Patrol Project: We then head off on patrol for the next week. Patrols are lead by at least one experienced guide on specialised 4x4 vehicles, again with the minimum of equipment, setting up camp at a different site every evening. You will be experiencing areas of Damaraland and surrounding desert that no safari or overland tour will ever venture into, tracking and observing our local desert-adapted elephant herds.

You will help with herd identification and data collection projects. This project is a perfect opportunity for people to really return to basic levels of living, learn simple camp-craft and survival skills and get back in touch with nature; whilst becoming directly involved in trailblazing conservation work. It is a chance to experience hard but rewarding work, witness amazing natural phenomena and escape the highly-strung world and its day-to-day routine.

There is fun to be had and something to learn at every stage in the project journey for people of all ages and backgrounds.

It is important to mention that this project is entirely funded by the volunteers. There is no outside funding whatsoever and the compensation from the communities we help is not asked for. The work you will be doing is having a direct impact on the lives of local communities and wildlife.

Personal Skills Needed as a Volunteer
This project really is vital, grass roots conservation work. It is not about cuddling baby animals, or being an observer of conservation from the comfort of a game drive vehicle: you need to have an open mind, a willing heart and be prepared to put in work for something bigger than yourself. This is about true adventure with likeminded people that care. This is about teamwork and tolerance. We live close together, close to the ground and close to the animals.

Your project manager is there to make your time in the bush educational and safe, but it is up to you to make a success of the expedition.

You need to have an average degree of fitness, as a lot of the work is manual and we could spend a lot of time in high temperatures on foot. This is real conservation: You will learn to be at one with nature, awaken long-lost memories, do hard satisfying work and walk away with a longing to be back under the desert stars.

Project Support
Throughout your stay in Namibia you will have the support and guidance of the project leaders and team. They will provide you with competent field support and assistance and help you with any questions, or support, you may need during your stay. They will be there for you to contact each day.

Project Orientation
Upon arrival in Swakopmund, you will arrive at the volunteer lodge and meet the team over a drink to discuss the following day and the start of your project. This is a time to ask any questions that you may have and discuss the project in greater depth. During your project, you will also receive comprehensive training in various skills needed for the project work and we will teach you the following:

Accommodation and Meals
This project is a great back-to-basics programme, experiencing the natural setting of the African bush. We set up our mobile base camp at each project site, which we make as comfortable as possible! You will be accommodated in two-man tents or you can choose to sleep under the stars. Washing facilities are limited and toilet facilities will be in the form of enclosed and private African long drops. Whilst on patrol, we camp wild and sleep under the stars on our bedrolls with mosquito nets.

Therefore, there are no showers or toilets, so you will need to prepare yourself to rough it a bit!

You will receive three meals each day on this project, prepared by you on a rotational basis, over the open fire and eaten around the campfire as a group. We supply you with basic but very balanced food with adequate vegetarian options.

Travel After Your Project
Being so close to the Windhoek in Namibia means that you are at a major starting point for tours through Africa. Why not join an overland tour after your volunteer project and further explore the amazing sights that Africa has to offer you. From 3-day mini trips to a mammoth 56-day epic, we have the perfect tour to suit your needs and leave you with unforgettable memories of Africa. Please ask our Africa team for further details.

For further information or to secure your place on this project, please contact the Africa Team today on 01892 516 164 or the Africa Manager at email us at Africa@realgap.co.uk