The OTS African Ecology and Conservation program in South Africa was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Throughout the semester, we visited different place all around the country. First, I went to the Southern part of the country and visited Glencairn. This site was a beach area, where I did research on the Alikreukel. This is a snail species in danger of overexploitation by fisheries in the area.
Research on the Alikreukel was my entertainment for the first few weeks. In this study we measured and counted the species from different beaches. This was my first research project of the program and it had great results.
After Glencairn, we went to Elands Bay. In Elands we studied the rocky shores and did monitoring of species in the area. Later, we went to Krom Riviere. At this site, we searched for invasive species in the river. Krom Riviere is located in the Cederberg.
This place is one of the most beautiful places on earth!
There, I went on a 10-hour hike to see rock formations and the great landscapes. This place was awesome!
After the Cederberg we went to Drie Kuilen, which had a different beauty. The beauty was all about the landscapes. At this site, we did research on seed dispersal. We used camera traps to see how rodents moved seeds.
Once we finished our first half of the semester, we had free time in Cape Town. While we were there, we danced, visited the botanical garden, ate in restaurants, and relaxed for five days.
Penguins!
When that was over, we took a flight to the north to Hamakuya. In Hamakuya, we stayed with Venda families for three days. We ate Mopani worms, danced, and tried to learn the language.
After Hamakuya, we went on to Kruger National Park in Punda Maria, where we did a biodiversity survey. We collected insects, identified rodents and plants, and placed camera traps to see what big mammals were in the area.
When we finished that, we traveled 10 hours to Skukuza. This site was one of the most exciting places. We saw elephants, buffalos, leopards, rhinos, and lions. We were there for a month doing fieldwork and preparing our Capstone projects.
My project was focused on soil properties in sodic patches. The opportunity to do fieldwork in Kruger National Park and develop a research project is a privilege I will never forget.
Overall, South Africa is a beautiful country. It has the greatest landscapes I have ever seen and interesting animals. Overall, this semester was one of the best of my life. I learned great ecological and conservation concepts and had fun. I would love to go back and repeat all of it again.
My experience with OTS helped me to understand nature and culture. I’m so grateful for the experience and If I had the chance to go back I would do it without thinking twice.