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St. Lucia Conservation Education through Photography Project Newsletters »September/October 2007 » St. Lucia Conservation Education through Photography Project This month, we focus on our St. Lucia Conservation Education through Photography Project PROJECT NAME: St. Lucia Conservation Education through Photography Project COUNTRY: South Africa LOCATION: The unique coastal village of St. Lucia is a wildlife haven and home to 2 of South Africa’s most diverse National Parks, which are explored under the guidance of our professional photographer. Contact one of our placement coordinators for more information. About the St. Lucia Conservation Education through Photography Project “The people are amazing, the backdrop astounding – the combination leaving you speechless with a smile! I gained knowledge of what Zulu rural villages are like. I learnt a lot about African wildlife, its needs and dangers. I learned how to use my camera properly and how to photograph wild animals. I learned about the world heritage sites in South Africa and made lots of gorgeous friends!” Annabel Vere, UK. September 2007. The Conservation Education through Photography Project is situated in St. Lucia which lies within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The Wetland Park is in a beautiful area that was declared as South Africa’s first Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Many consider St. Lucia to be Africa’s premier bush-and-beach destination. Encompassing almost half a million acres, it is a stunning and ecologically diverse area, where five different eco-systems meet. At St. Lucia you will find African savannahs, wetlands, swamps, beaches, and a great wealth of wildlife. Feedback from our first project volunteer, Annabel Vere, age 34 from the UK: What were some of the highlights of your volunteer placement with us? The people were amazing and the backdrop was astounding– the combination leaving you speechless with a smile! What experiences did you least enjoy in St. Lucia, and why? I did not have a bad second whilst volunteering in St. Lucia. How has living in Africa for this period influenced your perspectives and outlook on life? I feel that I have had a good introduction to Africa and its wildlife. Its needs are not as simple as I thought. The African culture is so deeply rooted to it and beautiful. In many ways Africa is richer than anywhere else, in that respect. Could you please explain your true feelings and thoughts about this Conservation Education Program? What do you think you gained from your volunteer experience in St. Lucia? I gained knowledge of how Zulu rural villages work. I learnt a lot about wildlife, the needs and dangers of Africa’s wild animals. I learnt how to use my camera properly and how to photograph wild animals in nature. I learnt about the world heritage sites in South Africa and made lots of gorgeous friends!   Update from our St Lucia Project Manager, Marleen Lammers: Hi everyone, Our St. Lucia volunteer projects are up and running, and developing strongly! Here are some important developments: We have been doing wildlife and environmental conservation education at the St. Lucia Orphan Day Care Center for the last week-and-a-half. We have decided to teach the children at the orphanage about wild animals - with great success. As of next week, we are starting an African Impact Conservation Club at Ubhuhlebemvelo, a local primary school. The school will select a group of 15 to 20 of their best and most motivated children. These students will be part of the club, which will meet every other afternoon. Our volunteers will organize classes and workshops on wildlife and the need for wildlife and nature conservation in general, and the St. Lucia conservation area specifically. We will also organize field trips for the club, and take them out into the bush. Our guide, Theo, is doing really well. He is very experienced, knowledgeable, and professional and is making the volunteers' walks and drives through the National Park very interesting. He has also proven to be very good at assisting us with teaching the children about conservation. Wildlife Photographer Christopher Scott joined us for a couple of days to teach our volunteers (and myself) about wildlife photography and Photoshop. It was extremely useful, and he will continue to give short courses to our education volunteers each month. This way our project volunteers will get a chance to greatly improve their photography skills whilst doing voluntary work in Africa. Also visit: This review of the photo tour in the Greater St. Lucia National Park. Other stories in this newsletter: Update: African Lion Rehabilitation & Release Program, by ALERT Welcome: Anna Burn, new African Impact Senior Project Manager Volunteer Profile: Zoe Cartwright Featured Project: St. Lucia Conservation Education through Photography Project News Snippets Subscribe to our free newsletter Africa volunteer opportunities       print this page | bookmark this page (CTRL-D) | send to a friend back to top