FGASA KZN North

Legalizing trade in rhino horn?

2012-02-22T10:03:00.001+02:00

KZN to push for rhino-horn trade
http://www.zululandobserver.co.za/Pages/m08story2.html

STORY: Vivien van der Sandt

KZN Wildlife authorities are to push for the legitimisation of trade in rhino horn, Dr Bandile Mkhize said last week. The CEO of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife was speaking at a function at Thula Thula Private Game Reserve. He said Ezemvelo was preparing a submission for Cites, due in September. ‘The solution (to the rhino-poaching problem) is to legalise the trade in rhino horn,’ he said. ‘We have to lobby. We have to convince government at national level. ‘We are going to run with this.’
The province had the support of conservationist Ian Player, and that was important as he had been instrumental in saving the rhino from extinction in the 1960s. Mkhize spoke of the difficulties of smashing the illegal trade. ‘The sophistication of the syndicates involved is amazing, as is the money involved,’ Mkhize said, mentioning in particular the use of night-vision equipment and helicopters. ‘One kilogram of horn is worth R650 000. The average rhino horn weighs five to six kilograms. So you can work out what that horn is worth,’ he said. He said there were five levels involved in the rhino-poaching network.
Law enforcement agencies often apprehended the bottom levels - one, two and three - that is, the poachers, the transporters, the sellers, and so on. But they could not crack the top levels, four and five. ‘Big businessmen are involved,’ he said. ‘They use people on the ground to do it. ‘What we do know is that all horns go to Gauteng. Whether they are poached in KZN or even if they are taken to Maputo first, they all end up in Gauteng. And from there, they just disappear.’ Mkhize’s views were not unanimously accepted, with members of the audience challenging his statement that flooding the market with rhino horn would stop the illegal trade and poaching.
Yvette Taylor, Executive Director of The Earth Organization said: ‘China has over a billion people, Vietnam has about 90 million. ‘How are we going to ‘flood the market’ and supply them all?’ Rhino are currently listed on Appendix 11 at CITES, an appendix that protects species that are not considered threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled. The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to Cites will be held 3-15 March 2013 in Thailand. The number of dead rhino in Zululand alone has risen by at least six in the past 10 days.
Members of the Richards Bay Organised Crime Combating Unit are investigating after two white rhino were found dead and dehorned near Mpila in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Park 10 days ago. Last Sunday at a private Game Lodge near Hluhluwe, a mother and calf were shot and their horns removed. Two male rhinos were found dead at Ndumo Reserve on Thursday, apparently as a result of fighting. However, the horns had been removed from the carcasses.

Junior Guides Wanted

2012-02-16T16:56:00.002+02:00

Good afternoon,

I trust that you are keeping well. I have a few positions open for some junior guides in North West and Limpopo. Please feel free to contact me for more information.

Keep well

Stefan Winterboer
Guides and Trackers Direct (Pty) Ltd
www.guidesandtrackers.co.za
Office: (+27) 83 816 1443
Mobile: (+27) 82 326 6292
Fax: 086 692 4939

Tree outing Futululu and St. Lucia

2012-02-16T15:54:00.000+02:00

Zululand Tree Society outing to Futululu Forest and Gwala Gwala Forest, St Lucia.
Date : Sunday 26th February 2012
Time :08h00 hrs
Venue : Meet at the Futululu Caravan Park, Monzi.
Directions: From the N2 take the R618 towards St Lucia. Approx 12 K before St Lucia turn right to Monzi (many sign boards here, ie., Cane Cutters, Cane Rats, Mozi Golf club etc). After approx. 5k turn right to Futululu Caravan Park which is sign boarded.

After walking through some forest at Futululu the plan is to go to the Gwala Gwala forest in St Lucia where there is a short trail in some tall forest. Both forests will be classified as coastal lowland forest and have some interesting species. Birding can also be good so bring some binocs.
We can have our picnic lunch at Gwala Gwala where there is plenty of shade.
Please let http://facebook.com/godfreycary.lang know if you are coming. Please note that there is an entry charge at Futululu Caravan Park of about R20 per person.

Invitation to KZN International Tourist Guide Day

2012-02-16T15:46:00.000+02:00

The Department of the Economic Development and Tourism in collaboration with the Provincial Tourist Guides Association kindly request all Tourist Guides and Tour Operators to diaries the date hereunder for the KZN International Tourist Guides Day Celebration.

You are therefore requested to send your proof of attendance (RSVP ticket) on or before 21 February 2012 to Ms Thanda Madlala at madlalat@kznded.gov.za (tel. 033 2649323) or Mr Sthe Zungu at zungust@kznded.gov.za (tel. 033 2649316) or fax to 033 32649372

Please download the invitation and RSVP ticket below.

Invitation to KZN International Tourist Guide Day

Looking for qualified guides...

2012-02-13T15:12:00.001+02:00

Hi all,

I am a recruitment consultant based in Port Elizabeth.

I recruit for 5 star Game Lodges across the Eastern Cape and we are urgently looking qualified FIELD Guides at the lodges.
They specifically look for qualified Field guides with FGASA level 2 or 3 who are DEAT Registered with PDP, First Aid, Firearms license etc.

If you match the criteria above, and would be willing to work and live in the Eastern Cape, please email me at retha@cityplacements.co.za
Many Thanks

Kind Regards
Retha

Rhino Report

2012-02-11T10:41:00.000+02:00

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife - Media Release

Poachers were successfully intercepted by two Ezemvelo field rangers at Ndumo on Wednesday at 7.30pm. The field rangers were on routine patrol when they came across fresh sets of spoors. Simultaneously they heard the sound of gunshots and followed the sounds and intercepted the poachers. The poachers managed to flee... the scene but thanks to the quick-witted thinking of the field rangers, a .375 heavy calibre rifle was found on the scene along with three rounds of ammunition. The white rhino poached was found with its horn still intact as the poachers did not have enough time to cut off the horns after being intercepted by our dedicated field rangers. A case has been opened and the SAPS and National Prosecuting Authority are investigating the matter. No arrests have been made yet.
In another incident, two white rhino carcasses were spotted from the Bantam by Ezemvelo’s Section ranger, Corporal Nsibande at Noma West iMfolozi on Thursday. The two carcasses were found 300 metres apart from each other. Rhino Security Intervention Co-ordinator, Jabulani Ngubane, said, “One carcass was in the valley with both horns intact and the other had its horns missing. The SAPS, Hawks and Crime Intelligence Unit are investigating the matter.”
So far this year five rhinos have been poached and a post mortem will be done on the 6th rhino to establish the cause of death. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is in a process of forming a specialised reaction team of field rangers solely for the purpose of reacting to incidents and following up on leads and other information.
Rhino poaching statistics will soon be made available on Ezemvelo’s website which is currently being upgraded. Ngubane has reiterated that Ezemvelo is continuously instituting numerous strategic measures to curb rhino poaching. “Ezemvelo’s stance and commitment to preserving our rhinos is always our priority and we will therefore continue to intensify our investigations with regards to rhino poaching as we aim to root out the criminal elements involved with this heinous crime. We are also aware that we are facing formidable resistant dark forces.
As a result Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has implemented a very vigorous and credible intervention plan that has resulted in 13% reduction in rhino poaching in the Province in 2011. From January this year there has been a 85,3% reduction to date but it is still too early to judge. “The intervention among others involve security risk assessment that was done in all rhino reserves, implementation of Standard Operating Procedure, deployment of new field rangers, purchasing of sophisticated equipment and the establishment of informer networks and intelligence, coordinating and uniting the private sector which gave birth to KZN Project Rhino, the use of a helicopter and a bantam.”

Wilderness First Aid Course

2012-02-09T11:39:00.001+02:00

Hi all,

We (Bhejane Nature Training, Ehlatini Bush Camp, False Bay) are running a 3-day Wilderness First Aid Course next week and have a couple of spaces open if there are any FGASA KZN North members that would like to join. It is conducted by SMART and is recognised by the Dept of Labour.

Course dates are 20 – 24 February 2012 (3 full days) and 24 – 27 February 2012 (3 full days)

If anyone wants more info or to join they can just contact me at dpanos@tiscali.co.za

Or phone Jana on 076 6035 868 to book a place.

Prices are R850 (including lunch for all three days but excluding accommodation)

R1250 with accommodation and meals.

Welcome to all St. Lucians!

2012-02-09T11:35:00.001+02:00

Dear St. Lucians,

The FGASA KZN North Region Committee would like to welcome you on board on our shared mission to make this region the best and most popular tourist destination in Southern Africa. From our part, we focus on promoting excellence and professionalism in guiding, and know that you do your part too by offering great tour and accommodation products.

We hope to make available relevant information for tour and safari guides, and to organise various kinds of activities where guides can improve their knowledge. We also provide information about the opportunities FGASA offers in terms of attaining new qualifications and career development.

The easiest way to stay up to date is to leave your email address on the right of this page, so you'll get a notification per email once we post new content to this site.

Should you want to become involved in what we do, please feel free to contact nick.vandewiel@gmail.com. If you want to advertise a job opportunity for free, also send Nick an email, and he'll post it online.

To learn more about FGASA, feel free to have a look at http://fgasakznnorth.blogspot.com/search/label/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions

Please note that, even though our initiative is run and supported by FGASA, also non-FGASA members are welcome to subscribe to this page and partake in our organised activities.

Best Regards,

The FGASA KZN North Committee

Job opportunity Kragga Kamma Game Park, PE, Eastern Cape

2012-02-09T11:16:00.001+02:00

A bit far off, but should you really need a job and/or want to escape the heat of KZN, go for it.

Work Opportunity

Candidate, preferably a young person, must be qualified to do game drives,(min requirement FGASA level 1) pdp, drivers licence, with some experience and contactable references.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kragga-Kamma-Game-Park/100903643309358

Email cv to dwait@worldonline.co.za

River Walk @ Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve

2012-02-09T11:02:00.001+02:00

Not really in KZN-North region, but anyways

Tracy Weakly

Greetings All

If you're looking to get away from the rat-race and commune with nature there's no better way to spend a few hours on a weekend, under the expert guidance of an Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Honorary Officer. On Saturday 11 February 2012 at Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve in Yellowwood Park, Durban, we will be doing the much anticipated River Walk along the Red Trail down to the Umhlatuzana River and back up through coastal forest filled with over 200 species of birds’ and the possible glimpse of the elusive blue duiker.The cost is R30 which includes entrance to the reserve. Starts sharp at 8am. Possible 2.5 – 3 hour walk.Meet at the front entrance of Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve in Yellowwood ParkPass this e-mail onto all your friends that may be interested – would be wonderful to spend time together in this great little reserve.

Did you know: Zebra stripes might have evolved to keep biting flies at bay...

2012-02-09T10:51:00.002+02:00

Experimental set-up of different patterns on horse models in a horse field

Why zebras evolved their characteristic black-and-white stripes has been the subject of decades of debate among scientists.

Now researchers from Hungary and Sweden claim to have solved the mystery.

The stripes, they say, came about to keep away blood-sucking flies.

They report in the Journal of Experimental Biology that this pattern of narrow stripes makes zebras "unattractive" to the flies.

They key to this effect is in how the striped patterns reflect light.

"We started off studying horses with black, brown or white coats," explained Susanne Akesson from Lund University, a member of the international research team that carried out the study.

"We found that in the black and brown horses, we get horizontally polarised light." This effect made the dark-coloured horses very attractive to flies.

It means that the light that bounces off the horse's dark coat - and travels in waves to the eyes of a hungry fly - moves along a horizontal plane, like a snake slithering along with its body flat to the floor.

Dr Akesson and her colleagues found that horseflies, or tabanids, were very attracted by these "flat" waves of light.

"From a white coat, you get unpolarised light [reflected]," she explained. Unpolarised light waves travel along any and every plane, and are much less attractive to flies. As a result, white-coated horses are much less troubled by horseflies than their dark-coloured relatives.

Having discovered the flies' preference for dark coats, the team then became interested in zebras. They wanted to know what kind of light would bounce off the striped body of a zebra, and how this would affect the biting flies that are a horse's most irritating enemy.

"We created an experimental set-up where we painted the different patterns onto boards," Dr Akesson told BBC Nature.

She and her colleagues placed a blackboard, a whiteboard, and several boards with stripes of varying widths into one of the fields of a horse farm in rural Hungary.

"We put insect glue on the boards and counted the number of flies that each one attracted," she explained.

The striped board that was the closest match to the actual pattern of a zebra's coat attracted by far the fewest flies, "even less than the white boards that were reflecting unpolarised light," Dr Akesson said.

"That was a surprise because, in a striped pattern, you still have these dark areas that are reflecting horizontally polarised light.

"But the narrower (and more zebra-like) the stripes, the less attractive they were to the flies."

To test horseflies' reaction to a more realistic 3-D target, the team put four life-size "sticky horse models " into the field - one brown, one black, one white and one black-and-white striped, like a zebra.

The researchers collected the trapped flies every two days, and found that the zebra-striped horse model attracted the fewest.

Prof Matthew Cobb, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Manchester pointed out that the experiment was "rigorous and fascinating" but did not exclude the other hypotheses about the origin of zebras' stripes.

"Above all, for this explanation to be true, the authors would have to show that tabanid fly bites are a major selection pressure on zebras, but not on horses and donkeys found elsewhere in the world... none of which are stripy," he told BBC Nature.

"[They] recognise this in their study, and my hunch is that there is not a single explanation and that many factors are involved in the zebra's stripes.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/16944753

Lions of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi

2012-02-08T09:23:00.001+02:00

Hluhluwe lion in very poor condition

STORY: Zululand Observer

Wildlife enthusiasts have been thrilled by many recent sightings of lions at the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Park (HiP). However, a number of the animals appear to be in poor health. Zululand Observer reporter Dave Savides posed questions to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Veterinarian Dr Dave Cooper and HiP Ecologist Dave Druce, and received the following useful information

Q. What is the present approximate lion count in HiP?
A. We estimate that there are between 180 and 200 lions in HiP. This is based on estimates generated per section which are estimated from the numbers of lions which came into call-ups as well as other groups of lions which they know did not come into call-ups. For certain areas of the park, it is a complete guesstimate.

Q. What has the historical count been, for comparative purposes?
A. 2006: 84, 2008: 145, 2009: 150, 2010: 200. Data further back is a little sketchy as various publications and reports sometimes contradict each other.

Q How many separate prides are there?
A. We have no idea! The monitoring is not at the intensity required to know this information. I would estimate there is in excess of 10 prides.

Q. Are other lions brought in to strengthen the pride (genetically)?
A. Historically other lions have been brought in. The last introductions were carried out between 1999 and the beginning of 2001 when a total of 16 lions were brought in from Pilanesberg and Madikwe. Since the HiP population has a history of in-breeding the genetic status is currently being monitored and introductions may be proposed if heterozygosity (in-breeding) drops to below acceptable limits.

Q. Are any lions to be culled or sold or is a saturation point still far off?
A. There are no plans to do this. Animals that show signs of disease are euthanised and tested for diseases. Research has shown that in the past when the population reached high numbers and no further introductions took place, the percentage of diseased lions in the population increased and this then resulted in the population becoming reduced through the deaths or euthanising of these individuals. I would suggest that disease as well as intra-specific competition (between prides or between males) would result in the population maintaining itself at a certain level. Intact and effective boundary fences are integral for this to happen. Displaced lions (mainly young males) will wander looking for a safe refuge. Instances of problem lion escapees were frequent in the 80s when the lion population was on the increase and adequate fencing was not yet in place.

Q. Why the ‘tree’ lions? Is it for coolness, or vantage, or because of biting flies/insects/ticks?
A. No-one has any good idea why there are prides which climb trees in HiP. Many people have theories as to why this is the case. I have seen lions in trees in Mbhuzane, Nqumeni and Masinda sections. I have seen a lion in a tree about 20m from his pride mates which were feeding on a buffalo, so potentially it’s not as a vantage point for looking for prey. I have seen lions in trees in HiP during the early morning, the late afternoon/early evening, during drizzle and during the heat of the day, so it cannot only be to keep cool.
Lions would probably pick up more ticks walking through the grass than they would resting in the shade of a tree and although there are tsetse flies in certain parts of the park, they are not overly abundant. So I don’t think that lions climb trees in HiP for any one reason. I’d suggest it could be for a combination of reasons that they would climb trees. During summer, when the grass is long, there is no breeze if one is lying on the ground. During this time, one would pick up more of a breeze and therefore stay cooler in a tree. Perhaps this was also the case with the lion I saw in a tree when his pride mates were feeding. He has already eaten and perhaps found it cooler up in a tree where he was then above most of the sicklebush. Perhaps lions would climb trees in the early morning or late afternoon to look for prey, although one of the occasions where I saw lions in a tree in the late afternoon, it was a sub-adult which was in the tree and the cubs were trying to climb up to her.

Q. Is it only buffalo that infect the lions with TB?
A. Bovine TB can potentially infect any warm- blooded animal (including humans) so technically any one of the favoured prey species could infect a predator - usually through the oral route. Previous and current TB surveys have however only detected TB in kudu, bush pig and baboon, none of which are considered to play an important role in the epidemiology of the disease. Kudu are a very-low density species in HiP and the frequency of kills is therefore very low. Both the baboon and bush pig were older ‘lone’ animals and it is presumed that they became infected by scavenging around the abattoir. In both Kruger and HiP buffalo are considered to be the primary maintenance host with other prey species playing a very minor role in spreading the disease. (Elsewhere in the world the disease is maintained in species such as lechwe, white-tailed deer, bison, possums and badgers).
http://www.zululandobserver.co.za/Pages/m06humstory2.html

FGASA Mentorship Program

2012-02-04T14:56:00.001+02:00

FGASA KZN North is proud to announce this region's own mentorship program. Everywhere in South Africa there has always been the need to somehow support those people who would love to be a guide one day, but who don't have the financial means to do a full course. After all, a full 10 week in house training course costs around R30.000, because it will cover all tuition (teacher's salaries), learner materials, food, accommodation, registration, membership and exam fees and a First Aid course.

There are a number of training providers who have taken desperate students in for a course for a reduced fee, or even totally for free. Other options have included letting the learner do it all self study, but having a mentor with whom he/she can meet on a regular basis to ask questions and go over the study material, to optimally prepare the learner for one of the National Exam Sittings.

Past experiences of myself and Bhejane Nature Training has learned us many lessons, and finally now we feel that we have an idea of what is required to make any mentorship successful. Below an outline of criteria:

The learner must have attained a full matric certificate.
The learner must be fully literate, and be able to converse without any hassle in English.
The learner must be passionate about the bush as well as about people, about teaching and about guiding, and not just looking into guiding and a mentorship just for an opportunity 'to find a job'. We have found that it makes no sense to look for any member in a community and offer him a mentorship just so he can get employment. Invariably they have dropped out in the past, simply because they don't have the commitment it takes to work hard in order to get a FGASA qualification.
For this reason, the learner must approach a possible member with a request, rather than a mentor 'looking for' a student he can mentor.
The learner must pay for his FGASA starter pack (manuals, workbook, registration fee, one year membership fee) him/herself, currently going @ R1035 for Level 1 Nature Guide and R1045 for Level 1 Marine Guide. This to make it an investment of their own as well, spreading the risk of money being wasted evenly over the learner and the mentor. This is also meant to ensure that learner is really committed to achieving this qualification.
It is then up for the mentor to sponsor additional study books and/or pay for exam sittings (R300) and/or practical assessments (from R500 onwards), and/or the compulsory First Aid course (Prices vary) and the Registration fees with the Dept. Environmental Affairs and Tourism (R240) in order for the learner to become a legal guide.
The mentor's involvement will mainly be of an academic rather than a financial nature, investing time in helping the learner study, prepare for the exams, and facilitating practical sessions.
We recommend that the learner and mentor sign a contract or mutual agreement of responsibilities, and a timeframe with deadlines to ensure steady progress of the learner.

We are also proud to announce that the following people have been awarded a mentorship program with myself in conjuction with Bhejane Nature Training.

Agrippa Shange

Simon Mdletshe

Agrippa Shange, Turtle Guide at Bhanga Neck, Kosi Bay has committed to attaining the FGASA Level 1 Marine Guide. He plans to write the theory in March.

Simon Mdletshe, Cook at Munyawaneni Bush Lodge, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park has committed to attaining the FGASA Level 1 Nature Guide. He plans to write the theory in October.

Patrick Mthethwa, FGASA Level 1 Nature Guide at Tembe Elephant Park has committed to attaining the FGASA Level 2 Advanced Nature Guide as well as the FGASA Birding Specialist qualification. He plans to have his practical assessment for the Birding done before June, and the Level 2 theory in October.

Myself and Patrick Mthethwa

All three candidates receive different types of support from us, and we wish them all the best in their endeavours.

Should you want a mentorship, or feel you could be a mentor, please feel free to contact me (nick.vandewiel@gmail.com) or Christa Panos (dpanos@tiscali.co.za) for more information.

Report Conservation Related Crime

2012-02-04T12:10:00.004+02:00

Hi all,

A few numbers to save on your mobile phone right now.

Report any conservation Related Crime to 0800-205-005

Or

Marine Related: 083-380-6298

Rhino Related: 082-404 2128

These numbers can be used nation-wide, you can report anonymously. They are from the conservation authorities such as EKZNW and the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

Frogging at Ehlatini.

2012-02-04T12:00:00.000+02:00

We from the Bhejane Nature Training team all followed the Emotional Intelligence Workshop that I wrote about on the 29th of November. It was actually very interesting as we learned effective means for dealing with conflict, being assertive, having balanced professional and personal relationships, and, very important: how to deal with difficult students!
That same evening we organised a spontaneous frogging excursion at the Ehlatini Bush Camp. This place is phenomenal for frogging as on its 80 hectares, 32 species of frogs have been recorded. Given that the whole iSimangaliso Wetland Park contains a total of 52 species of frogs within its 332.000 hectares, this is quite something! This particular night, led by FGASA Level 3 Expert Nature Guide Ryan Tippet, we found about 15 species, a very good score. We'll do another frogging night soon, before the season ends, and we'll announce it in advance on this site. So watch this space! Below some pics from the evening (click on the image for an enlargement):

Mottled Shovel-nosed Frog

Juvenile Greater Leaf-folding Frog about to lose its tail

Grass frogs are often only identifiable by looking at the pattern on the hind limps. This individual is a Sharp-nosed Grass Frog

Red-legged Kassina

Painted Reed Frog

New Year's Resolutions...

2012-01-19T15:56:00.001+02:00

Hi all,

Compliments of the season, even though the season is already a good 2.5 weeks behind us! Yeah yeah, I know, this blog has been pretty quiet the last few months. It was busy season after all! For this reason I am sure most of you haven't even noticed, being busy with doing game drives, hosting, guiding, dealing with clients etc. For example, I have been doing tours back to back the last 4-5 months. But now, quiet season has arrived. Most tourists have left again, and January and February are for many tour operators and lodges the quieter months of the year. Time to take it easy, right?
I don't think so! Okay, admittedly we all need to take it easy, catch our breath after working hard last season but it doesn't mean we can sit on our bum and do nothing. Many operators and lodges will have to catch up on admin and marketing, perhaps maintenance as well. But guides, if not involved too much with the maintenance, have perhaps a little more time on their hands. And this brings us exactly to the title of this post: New Year's Resolutions...
From FGASA KZN North we would like to encourage all guides to take this opportunity to consider furthering their career and improving on their knowledge. Make a late New Year's Resolution. Who says you can only make them on the 31st of December? Do it now. Look back at the past few years. You must have gained in experience and knowledge. If you have been guiding for 15 years and are still a Level 1 guide, isn't it time to up your game a bit and do your Level 2? You've got the experience, you've got the knowledge, so you know you can do it.
And here some reply with the same old story: "Why would I do such a thing? They won't pay me more in any case...". Not true... The better and more professional lodges and operators do pay more for better qualifications. For example, Sabi Sabi pays their guides 500 per month extra for each extra qualification they have. This allows them to earn up to 7500 rand a month, and that is excluding tips! And it is logic that they pay their guides more for better qualifications, after all, now the guides are better able to give the clients a better experience which will reflect good on the lodge or operator. If you believe your employer is not willing to pay more if you get an extra qualification, talk them them, explain the above or even refer them to this blog.
But more importantly than making more money is the fact that with studying for an extra qualification, you get to enjoy the bush a lot more and can even revive your interest in a park and in your work. I speak out of experience here, and I know many guides who have experienced it as well. Basically all guides get bored to some degree if guiding in the same area every day for 10 years. Especially if you repeat the same story to your guests and share the same knowledge all the time. Regardless how beautiful or awesome a given park is, you're bound to lose interest to some degree. When you feel that way, all you've got to do is go and study for another qualification. The new knowledge you get, you can start to use, and suddenly you will start to talk about diferrent things with your guests, and suddenly you even start to see whole new things in the park you have been working in for 10 years. Really, it is true! In the months practising for my Level 2, and in the months afterwards, I had a whole renewed interest in the park I was guiding in. And since I did my Level 3 recently I got another burst of 'energy and interest' in guiding in my area of operation. I also started working towards the Birding Specialist qualification now, and I assure you I suddenly look more at birds, talk more about them on my game drives and enjoy them a lot more than previously. In summary, getting a new qualification can indeed give you an odd 500 rand a month extra, but will surely give you a lot more enjoyment and a renewed interest in your work. And who wouldn't enjoy that?
So now is the time... Have a look at the FGASA website, look at what qualifications they have (http://www.fgasa.co.za/qualifications.asp ) and which ones you are eligible to write, and choose one. Book the exam right away, and start studying. Especially now, when you have a little more time on your hands. It is worth it, trust me. It trains your brain, it keeps you young. A new year, a new challenge. Never stop learning.
Watch this space, we will post a little more about the possible qualifications you can attain at FGASA over the course of the next couple of weeks. For now also look at http://fgasakznnorth.blogspot.com/2011/06/kzn-north-new-fgasa-marine-guiding.html
New Year's resolutions from our side? Yes indeed. One, we would like to grow this region a lot more. Two, we want to have more regular posts. Three, we want to organise more activities that bring guides in the region together. Four, this year the mentor ship program will kick off (I myself have two recruits already. More info in a post in the next weeks).

Best wishes for now,

Nick van de Wiel

Emotional Intelligence workshop

2011-11-29T11:27:00.001+02:00

Hi everyone

We are getting a professionalLife and Business Coach in January2012 at Bhejane Nature Training (False Bay, Hluhluwe) to run a 1 day Emotional Intelligence workshop. Thisis an excellent programme for anyone that regularly deals with guests or staffor want to improve their personal effectiveness and interpersonalrelationships.

Bhejane will cover all additional fees such as the facilitator’stravel, meals and accommodation. You will only pay the individual cost oftraining.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the ability to be aware of one’s own emotional state andthat of others. People with low EQ often struggle with communication. Thisbecomes more evident in an environment where there is no room formiscommunication. In order for a team to function effectively, the channels ofcommunication must be open and allow individuals to express themselves withoutfear of retaliation or vengeance. Managing one’s own emotions effectivelyfacilitates harmonious interaction with others. This is often because you aremore aware of the impact your words and deeds have on others.

Emotional intelligence canalso be defined as non-cognitive skills and competencies needed to successfullycommunicate and interact with people in our daily lives. Emotional intelligenceallows you to manage your own and other’s emotions and to guide thinking andactions.

We used to believe thatsuccess depended solely on intelligence (IQ - the measure of an individual’sintellectual, analytical, rational and logical abilities.) If you wereintellectually superior, the expectation was that you would succeed. Thisnotion has long since changed since the discovery that one’s emotionalintelligence (EQ) often plays a larger role than one’s IQ.

We can become more productiveand successful at what we do and also help others to be more productive andsuccessful by developing our Emotional Intelligence in the five EQ domains.Emotional Intelligence also helps to decrease conflict; improve relationshipsand to increase stability, continuity and harmony.

We are looking at having the workshop conducted the 20^th of January 2012. The company is called Success Factoryand the facilitator Elsabe Manning. You can read more on their website – www.successfactory.co.za

Their normal rate is R1800 per person, but they are willing to do itfor us at R1200 per person. Asstated Bhejane will cover the extras (meals, accommodation and transport forthe facilitator)

For more information please email Christa Panos at dpanos@tiscali.co.za or call her on083-7263826.

Wilderness First Aid Course

2011-11-04T08:51:00.001+02:00

Hi all,

We (Bhejane Nature Training, Ehlatini Bush Camp, False Bay) are running a Wilderness First Aid Course next week and have a couple of spaces open if there are any FGASA KZN North members that would like to join. It is conducted by SMART and is recognised by the Dept of Labour.

Course dates are 8 – 10 November

If anyone wants more info or to join they can just contact me at dpanos@tiscali.co.za

Or phone Jana on 076 6035 868 to book a place.

Prices are R850 (including lunch for all three days but excluding accommodation)

R1250 with accommodation and meals.

FGASA KZN North Workshops seem to work!

2011-11-04T08:49:00.001+02:00

Dear all,

We are proud to announce that the last national exam sitting in Hluhluwe had an excellent pass rate! Out of the 11 people that wrote the FGASA terrestrial level 1, 8 passed! Three of those had attended one of our exam workshops. In addition, one person passed its FGASA Marine Level 1, and 4 passed their trails guide. Congratulations to all those learners, and the few that didn't pass this time, good luck next time!

The FGASA KZN North Committee

Wilderness First Aid Course

2011-10-03T12:01:00.003+02:00

Hi all,

We (Bhejane Nature Training, Ehlatini BushCamp, False Bay) are running a Wilderness First Aid Course next week and have acouple of spaces open if there are any FGASA KZN North members that would liketo join. It is conducted by SMART and is recognised by the Dept ofLabour.

Course dates are 11 – 13 October

If anyone wants more info or to join theycan just contact me at dpanos@tiscali.co.za

Or phone Jana on 076 6035 868 to book aplace.

Prices are R850 (including lunch for allthree days but excluding accommodation)

R1250 with accommodation and meals.

2011-10-01T10:15:00.000+02:00

Dear all,

We would like to draw your attention to the following. The 2011 Tourism Bill (Draft) has been published on the 5th of August 2011 and is open for comment for 60 days. There are a few changes made compared to the current Tourism Act of 2000, which will affect all of us. For example, as things currently stand, it is illegal for a guide to be the driver and the guide at the same time in a vehicle that has a seating capacity of more than 10 people. Most game viewers have a seating capacity of 11, therefore, by law those vehicles are supposed to have a driver and a separate guide. The Federation of South African Tourist Guide Associations (of which FGASA is a member) has identified a few 'problems' with the new bill and needs your feedback as well so they can have a really strong collective reply. In order to professionalise the guiding industry, they want to suggest some amendments. They have created a convenient discussion document for you to comment in, making it very little work for you to add your comments, if any. Please have a look at http://www.fsatga.org/?q=node/42 or email Nick.vandewiel@gmail.com for the discussion document. Many thanks for your contribution.

KZN Regional Meeting

2011-09-17T15:02:00.001+02:00

Hi all,

FGASA would like to invite all members and aspirant-members to attend the FGASA KZN Regional meeting as per the details below. Brian Serrao, the operations director from FGASA will attend as well, and it will be a great opportunity for all members to express their opinion about guiding in the region and the role FGASA plays and/or should play in this region. Please come prepared with questions and suggestions, and we are looking forward to discuss those. Let KZN become the most active guiding region!

Best Regards,

The FGASA KZN North Committee.

KZN Regional Meeting
Date: Saturday, 1 October 2011
Venue: Protea Hotel, Hluhluwe
Time: 13h00
Contact Christa Panos for more info on 083 726 3826

KZN North: FGASA Exam workshop

2011-09-17T14:37:00.001+02:00

Dear FGASA members,

The KZN North Committee wishes everyone writing the national exam the 1st of October good luck! For the people writing in Hluhluwe, we do offer an 'exam workshop' for learners writing the FGASA Level 1 exam, where you can come and ask questions about the topics you still might struggle with. The KZN North facilitators will then try to help you by answering your questions and explaining things where necessary, hopefully helping you passing your exam. This service is for free. These workshops will be held in St. Lucia (location to be announced), as well as in the Hluhluwe Hotel on the 23th of September from 6 PM till 9 PM.

Should you wish to make use of this service, please ensure that you make a reservation with the facilitators, to avoid finding them too busy with other students, and to avoid them sitting there for nothing. For the St. Lucia workshops, please text Nick van de Wiel on 072-7055124, for Hluhluwe please text Christa Panos on 083-7263826. Make sure you mention your name, and the time you wish to meet. Also ensure that you actually go to the workshop on the specified time, and should you not be able to, make sure you cancel your appointment with your facilitator in time.

Once again: Make a reservation with your facilitator! No reservation might mean the facilitator has no time for you that evening. And: If you have a reservation, make sure you come: No show (without cancellation) is no more future exam workshops for you... And please come prepared with your questions. If you have no questions, your facilitator unfortunately cannot help you.

We hope this free service will ensure a higher pass rate amongst learners in this region.

Sincerely yours,

The FGASA KZN North committee

Summary of Tourist Guides Workshop

2011-09-15T14:50:00.001+02:00

On the 24th of August the KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism in collaboration with theNational Department of Tourism held a Tourists GuidesWorkshop in Hluhluwe, and from FGASA we were attending. The post below briefly summarises the outcome of the workshop. As it was a workshop, it was not a straightforward presentation of facts which could simply be mentioned below, but it was rather an interactive process in which attending tourist guides could put their opinion forward.

First of all it was good to hear that behind the scenes, many steps have been taken by the National Department of Tourism (NDT) to update and progress on the tourist guide act and the professionalisation of the tourism sector. Compliance and importance of registration by Department of Economic Development &Tourism (DEDT) is now also going to be checked more regularly by means of spot checks to combat 'illegal guiding'. People to be found guiding illegally can be fined 1000 rand and the company they are guiding for 10.000 rand on top of that. They have also proposed/initiated a change in the 'badge', to give experienced guides recognition for their years of experience. For this purpose they propose that guides get a green badge if they have been guiding less than 5 years, a bronze badge for guides operating for 6-9 years, a silver badge for 10-12 years of guiding and after 12 years guides would get a gold badge. Guides would be able to get recognition of prior learning/experience for this, so it makes sense to fill in your FGASA Logbooks and ask your clients to sign you off after each game drive or tour. Such a logbook would be deemed 'proof of experience'.

Another interesting point of discussion was the definition of 'site guide', 'regional guide', 'provincial guide' and 'national guide'. As FGASA guides, or any nature site guide trained and assessed by another THETA/CATHSSETA accredited training provider, we are 'site guides' and legally can only operate in one 'site', for example Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and surrounding game reserves. The reality is however that many guides are trained/assessed in other 'sites' than the 'site' they end up working in. At the moment this is a grey area, but it was suggested at the workshop that assessors and training providers should be able to specify more than one site if they feel that the learner is competent. E.g.: learners that do a one month course in Mkhuze game reserve should only be allowed to guide in that particular park. Learners that do a longer course, lets say 6 months and that are trained in Mkhuze as well as Tembe, Ndumo, Kosi Bay, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, St. Lucia etc. should be allowed to guide in all these parks. Currently they do only one assessment, and get only one 'site' to be allowed to guide in. The Department of Tourism would take these points into account while discussing and drafting the new legislation.

As discussed in a previous post on this site, THETA has changed it name to CATHSSETA, to include arts and culture.

Guides must now no longer register with Tourism KZN (TKZN), but with the KZN Department of Economic Development & Tourism. (See: http://fgasakznnorth.blogspot.com/2011/05/kzn-north-important-news-for-all-guides.html)

These were the most important things covered for us guides. I would recommend anyone to participate in any next one of such workshops, as they are very relevant to all of us. Dates of such events will be posted on this site, so make sure you subscribe on the right of this page.

News: Lion released in Zululand Rhino Reserve

2011-07-11T07:43:00.000+02:00

News:

The Zululand Rhino Reserve was established on 1st July 2004. The Reserve consists of 15 landowners which have removed their internal fences in order to create a 20 000 hectare endangered species reserve and in particular to actively promote the conservation of Black Rhino. The reserve lies within the Msunduze valley in north-western Zululand in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. On the 1st of July 2011, Zululand Rhino Reserve officially became a Big 5 reserve with the introduction of 3 male lions. An historical day for conservation, returning lions to an area that they previously inhabited.

The 3 young males have been in a boma at Phinda Game Reserve for the last couple of weeks, until finally the go-ahead was given and they could be bought over to their new home. A few days before they were bought over to ZRR, they were fitted with telemetry collars so that they can keep track of their movements and whereabouts. Once the lions have settled in, and the researchers have an idea of their range, the collars will be removed.

Right now the lions are in a boma here at ZRR, and they will spend a few more weeks in the boma so that they can acclimatise and monitored for any disease that they may have contracted. If they do need any medical assistance, it is much easier for them to be treated in a boma than if they were out roaming around.

If all goes to plan, the females which are from a completely different reserve, and therefore completely new bloodlines, will be joining the males in the boma soon so that they can form bonds and create a cohesive pride, after which they will be released into the reserve.

KZN North Tree Outings

2011-07-09T09:16:00.001+02:00

The Tree Enthusiast Working Group in Hluhluwe is organising tree outings usually every second Saturday of the month, and it has recently been decided to make them more accessible for 'beginners' as well. Hence, some of the next three outings will include a lecture on how to actually identify the tree families and individual trees in KZN. They are given by Dr Du Randt which is a tree specialist in the area. Every time a different area will be visited and will focus on identifying trees and learning about them. This is of course a great way to learn about the trees in this area which are usually considered so difficult to ID. The dates for the next few months are mentioned below, so make sure you diarise these! Participation is for free for both FGASA and non-FGASA members! The full information can be found below. For more info phone Greg Davies on 0791893996

Make sure you come, it is an awesome way to learn more trees in KZN, which will make you a better guide!

Click here for a summary of the previous outing in April http://fgasakznnorth.blogspot.com/2011/04/report-on-great-tree-outing-at-ehlatini.html

SATURDAY, 23 JULY 2011:

Beginners power-point presentation on Tree Identification, etc, combined with a short walk in bushveld, on SAND FOREST LODGE, near False Bay Park. The presentation will be at the LAPA of Sand Forest Lodge.

Time: 12h00 - 14h00

WEEKEND OF 12 - 14 AUGUST 2011:

Please join the Zululand Dendrological (Tree) Society for a weekend camp at NDUMO GAME RESERVE. Please do your own booking at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for either a campsite or chalet for the Friday and/or Saturday night. (Mine is booked already) There is limited space, but we can combine campsites, if we need too. We want to look at the vegetation and trees of Ndumu Game Reserve and esp Usuthu Gorge, which promise a few rare findings. I will probably go up early on Friday morning. I will also come back on Sunday via Tembe andTsongwe Sand Forest - interested people can join us. This weekend is organised by Denis Oscroft from the Tree Society.

SATURDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2011:

Power-point presentation on Tree Identification, etc, combined with a walk in bushveld and/or sand forest, at SAND FOREST LODGE, near False Bay Park. The presentation will be at the LAPA of Sand Forest Lodge.

Time: 12h00 - 14h00

KZN North 2nd & 3rd of July, Tree Outing Sand Forest Lodge & False Bay

2011-06-27T18:03:00.000+02:00

The Tree Enthusiast Working Group in Hluhluwe is organising tree outings usually every second Saturday of the month. They are led by Dr Du Randt which is a tree specialist in the area. Every time a different area will be visited and will focus on identifying trees and learning about them. This is of course a great way to learn about the trees in this area which are usually considered so difficult to ID. This time the tree outing is actually an exciting full weekend instead of the usual few hours! Moreover, experts such as Richard Boon and Elsa Pooley are going to be there too! The full information can be found below. For more info phone Greg Davies on 0791893996

Make sure you come, it is an awesome way to learn more trees in KZN!

Click here for a summary of the previous outing in April http://fgasakznnorth.blogspot.com/2011/04/report-on-great-tree-outing-at-ehlatini.html

Dear fellow dendrologists & tree and plant lovers (and pass on to interested people not on my e-mail list)

I would like to invite and welcome everybody to the following programme. In case we will be too many on the field outings, we can split up the group in novices, and more experienced tree spotters.

We are hosting quite a few members of C.R.E.W. (Custodians for rare and endangered wildflowers/plants), a division of SANBI, at Sand Forest Lodge, over the weekend of 2 & 3 July 2012. We have also invited well known tree experts from southern KZN to join us. Elsa Pooley and Richard Boon should be under them. Accommodation will be mostly at Sand Forest Lodge.

The programme will be as follows:

SATURDAY 2 July 2011: Meet at SAND FOREST LODGE at 14h00, or alternatively at FALSE BAY MAIN ENTRANCE GATE shortly after 14h00. I will pick up all the CREW people from the lodge and bring them to False Bay Gate. We will then join together in less vehicles to prevent congestion in the forest and drive up to the heart of the sand forest. We will do a walk through the main sand forest from 14h15 to 16h00. Time permitting, we will then drive further along the fence to rare sand forest species and we should complete the outing by 16h30/17h00.

This will be followed by a social evening at SIT-EN-DRINK (our farm adjacent to False BayPark gate) from 17h00 onwards. Please supply our own food/meat and drinks, possibly also plate, cutlery, glass and a chair. (depending on the number of people) This will be a social BRING & BRAAI to meet each other and to have informal discussions. Everybody is invited. The lock on the farm gate will be open - please keep the lock open, but keep the gate close at all times.

SUNDAY morning, 3 July 2011: Join us for a formal meeting at 08h00 at Sand Forest Lodge LAPA. This meeting will be about the activities of CREW in our area, the monitoring of rare plants in future field trips, discussion of volunteers to cover our whole area, including Maputaland and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi areas, etc etc. This will be lead by Suvarna Parbhoo. Even if you are a novice in tree-spotting or plant botanizing, please attend this meeting, as it is all about conservation of our beautiful ecosystem.

This meeting will be followed by another field trip from possibly 10h30 to 12h00/13h00, depending on our energy levels! Time permitting I would like to take the group to a few selected "hot-spots", especially Berchemia sp novo (in False Bay Park), Warburgia salutaris colony (in False Bay Park) and possibly, time permitting, visiting Makowe Hill for Albizia suluensis. Bring your own picnic lunch afterwards.

We will draw up a list of the RARE, ENDANGERED and SPECIAL plants of our region, and it will be available to all. We need future volunteers to "adopt a plant" and to monitor these plants for our data base.

Hope to see you all.....

Regards

Francois du Randt

KZN North: FGASA Exam workshop

2011-06-24T21:23:00.001+02:00

Dear FGASA members,

The KZN North Committee wishes everyone writing the national exam the 2nd of July good luck! For the people writing in Hluhluwe, we do offer an 'exam workshop' for learners writing the FGASA Level 1 exam, where you can come and ask questions about the topics you still might struggle with. The KZN North facilitators will then try to help you by answering your questions and explaining things where necessary, hopefully helping you passing your exam. This service is for free. These workshops will be held in St. Lucia (location to be announced), as well as in the Hluhluwe Hotel on the 28th of June from 7 PM till 10 PM, as well as on the 30th of June from 7 PM till 10 PM.

Should you wish to make use of this service, please ensure that you make a reservation with the facilitators, to avoid finding them too busy with other students, and to avoid them sitting there for nothing. For the St. Lucia workshops, please text Nick van de Wiel on 072-7055124, for Hluhluwe the 28th please text Christa Panos on 083-7263826, and for Hluhluwe the 30th text Greg Davies on 079-1893996. Make sure you mention your name, and the date and time you wish to meet. Also ensure that you actually go to the workshop on the specified date and time, and should you not be able to, make sure you cancel your appointment with your facilitator in time.

We hope this free service will ensure a higher pass rate amongst learners in this region.

Sincerely yours,

The FGASA KZN North committee

KZN North: New FGASA Marine Guiding Qualification

2011-06-23T14:22:00.000+02:00

What do you really know about barnacles and crayfish? Ever heard about a zoanthid? What do cone shells eat? What is the reproductive cycle of mussels? How do dunes form? What is the history of Mission Rocks? What uses do algae have? How do mangroves deal with salt? Would you be able to tell the species of shark by looking at a beached tooth alone, or the species of whale by the type of ‘blow’ it makes when it exhales? A FGASA marine guide will be able to tell you all of these things!

The FGASA Marine Guiding qualification is an exciting but relatively new qualification offered by FGASA. It offers people the opportunity to learn about all aspects of guiding in the marine coastal environment, which has a lot to offer to tourists. In South Africa there are countless opportunities for marine guiding which have not been fully exploited yet because of the general focus on land based activities, such as game drives, cultural tours and hikes. Especially the iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a great example of a park where having a marine guiding qualification gives you a lot of extra guiding opportunities. To name a few: you could be a turtle guide or a whale watching guide, you could do specialized rocky shore excursions and you can go snorkeling and diving with your clients.

Historically going to the sea or beach has always been associated with fun and relaxation and not so much with learning about the environment. However, the marine guiding qualification offers the opportunity for people to make a difference and open people’s eyes to all the amazing creatures that you may find hidden under the sand or stuck to the rocks. In the Cape where less game drive opportunities are available this type of tourism is already much more established and one of the prominent as well as popular organizations is Strandloper safaris.

Marine Guides can specialize in very different fields, however, this qualification is about having the skills and understanding to interpret the coastal marine environment as a whole. This means that you could offer your guests a game drive to Cape Vidal and will be able to tell them about the animals and plants encountered along the way. Knowledge about the coastal forest and savannah is thus part of the course, albeit in not as much detail as in a terrestrial guiding course. Once in Cape Vidal you will take your guests out snorkeling and you will be able to give an appropriate safety briefing and subsequently can point out interesting fish and invertebrate species. Back on land you might be able to tell your guests a bit more about the dune vegetation and the important role it plays in trapping sand and stabilizing dunes. Or you could stop at Mission rocks and do some incredible interesting rocky shore guiding. These are the things that set a Marine Guide apart from a ‘normal/terrestrial’ guide! And it is these ‘things/opportunities’ that are so abundant in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Marine Guiding opportunities are not confined to South Africa as you could also work at lodges in Mozambique, the Seychelles etc.

The FGASA marine guiding course focuses more on the coastal environment and shoreline than the animal life seen under the water surface and therefore your assessment will be done on land in the rocky shore environment. Although for some people it may be disappointing not to spend all your time in the water it is good to realize that as a guide you only will spend limited amounts of time with guests in the water and for the rest of the time you also need to be able to entertain them. Diving and snorkeling activities often do not take longer than one or two hours. Some days you might have planned activities on or in the ocean, but if the sea is too rough alternative plans have to be made. Being able to give an interesting guiding experience on the beach is then a great bonus!

The course covers topics such as guiding skills, safety briefings, astronomy, weather & climate, estuaries, mangroves, rocky- and sandy shores, coastal & marine plants, fish biology, invertebrates (corals, sponges, jellyfish, sea stars, crayfish, prawns, mussels, periwinkles and many many more), marine mammals, turtles, frogs and toads, animal behavior, historical human habitation and conservation. During the Bhejane Marine Guiding course also a specialized Marine First Aid course is given as well as a Padi Open Water Diver scuba diving course.

If you pass both your theory exam and your practical assessments you will be qualified as a FGASA Level 1 Marine Guide, as well as a THETA NQF 2 Nature Site Guide.

TKZN (Tourism KZN) however does recognize the Marine Guiding qualification as being a specialty on top of your “basic” guiding qualification. Furthermore, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has earmarked this qualification to be the entry level qualification of any Marine Protected Area manager.

How can you get qualified as a marine guide? Bhejane Nature Training, as the only FGASA accredited training provider in the region, offers Marine Guiding courses. As per the new requirements from FGASA and THETA these courses are now 10 weeks long. It was found that many people struggled to take in all the information over a 6 week period and although 10 weeks seems long, for most people this will be a good amount of time to familiarize yourself with the theory and practical aspects of marine guiding. As mentioned above, included in the course is a Padi Open Water Course with one of the best dive centers in South Africa, Coral Divers in Sodwana Bay. Andrew Millers (from S.M.A.R.T.) has adapted his Wilderness First Aid course especially so that it applies to accidents in the marine environment and it is therefore called Marine Wilderness First Aid. It is recognised and endorsed by the Department of Labour.

For the people who do not manage to find the time to do the full course Bhejane Nature Training now also offers a marine workshop (2 weeks) for those people who are able to do a great deal of the theory through self study, and/or already have a guiding qualification. The workshop offers practical outings in Kosi Bay and St Lucia. The workshop will be intense and packed with lectures, exercises, presentations and other educational activities. For more information have a look at

http://bhejanenaturetraining.com/MarineGuiding.html

The Marine Guiding Course is for those people who have an interest in the marine environment and who are open to learn about all aspects of it. Job opportunities once you are qualified could vary from working at a lodge like for example Thonga beach lodge, to being a guide on a fishing charter, or to diving with guests for a lodge in Mozambique. Not even to mention how much your entertainment value and guiding quality on the Eastern Shores will have improved after having done a marine guiding course!

For more information, please email Freya.Adamczyk@gmail.com

KZN North: Welcome ECTA Members!

2011-06-15T16:50:00.000+02:00

Dear ECTA Members,

The FGASA KZN North Region Committee would like to welcome you on board on our shared mission to make this region the best and most popular tourist destination in Southern Africa. From our part, we focus on promoting excellence and professionalism in guiding, and know that you do your part too by offering great tour and accommodation products.

We hope to make available relevant information for tour and safari guides, and to organise various kinds of activities where guides can improve their knowledge. We also provide information about the opportunities FGASA offers in terms of attaining new qualifications and career development.

The easiest way to stay up to date is to leave your email address on the right of this page, so you'll get a notification per email once we post new content to this site.

Should you want to become involved in what we do, please feel free to contact nick.vandewiel@gmail.com. If you want to advertise a job opportunity for free, also send Nick an email, and he'll post it online.

To learn more about FGASA, feel free to have a look at http://fgasakznnorth.blogspot.com/search/label/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions

Please note that, even though our initiative is run and supported by FGASA, also non-FGASA members are welcome to subscribe to this page and partake in our organised activities.

Best Regards,

The FGASA KZN North Committee

News: Rhino released in Ozabeni section of iSimangaliso Wetland Park

2011-06-13T20:30:00.000+02:00

Great news:

Ozabeni covers 46000ha north of Lake St Lucia, west of the Maputoland Marine Reserve. The fencing of it has recently been completed and it is currently home to several species, including 59 blue wildebeest, 1850 plains zebra, 150 bush pigs and 50 impala. Last week a number of black and white rhino have been released, as part of the park's plan to reintroduce 28 rhino, 15 white and 13 black, this year. This is great news as the iSimangaliso Wetland Park now has more than 100 black rhino within its boundaries, and once these are all linked up and the animals can interbreed the park will have secured the highest status possible, a 'KEY 1 population' in terms of the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group, which is a major achievement in rhino conservation.

To counter poaching the rhino have transmitters in their horn to allow easy tracking, and extra park rangers and anti-poaching units have been deployed in the area.

Well done to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and KZN Wildlife!

Did You Know: That leaves can take up water?

2011-06-13T09:30:00.001+02:00

On the latest tree outing last Saturday, a question was raised whether plants can also take up/absorb water through their leaves, instead of only through its roots. Opinions differed that day so I conduced a bit of research and this is what I found:

Yes, leaves often can absorb water through their leaves, and in fact, in some plants it is almost the only means of water uptake. Think about epiphytic bromeliads for example. These have a root system that only serves to anchor the bromeliad against its host tree, but it does not parasitise on the host tree's sap. The bromeliad meets all his moisture requirements for photosynthesis by trapping water with its leaves, and then absorbing it.

How do leaves do this: There are two means. First of all it is important to remember that most leaves have a waxy layer (the cuticle) which is impenetrable to water. However, that layer is interspersed with stomata and trichomes (hairs), which both can take up water. The trichomes are similar in morphology and function as root hairs, so it comes as no surprise that they can indeed absorb water. Through the stomata and trichomes, water can bypass the waxy layer found on most leaves. Please note that water uptake through stomata is much more difficult than the uptake through trichomes, so the latter play a much more important role in water uptake, whereas the stomata play a larger role in gas exchange.

How well a plant can take up water through its leaves will obviously depend for a large part on: how many trichomes and stomata are present on the leaf surface, how efficient they are, humidity levels, temperature, climate, light intensity, leaf age, nutritional status of the plant etc.

KZN North, Firearm, First Aid and ARH Training

2011-06-03T14:43:00.002+02:00

Hi everyone

We are running the following First Aid and Fire-arm Training courses over the next two months.

FGASA ARH Training: 22 - 24 June

SASSETA Firearm Training: 11 – 13 July
Wilderness First Aid: 26 – 28 July

Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to book yourself or any of your guides on these courses.

For prices and more information, please contact me.

Kind Regards

Christa Panos

dpanos@tiscali.co.za

Cell: +27 83 726 3826

KZN North, 11th of June, Tree Outing Bushlands

2011-06-01T14:58:00.000+02:00

The Tree Enthusiast Working Group in Hluhluwe is organising tree outings usually every second Saturday of the month. They are led by Dr Du Randt which is a tree specialist in the area. Every time a different area will be visited and will focus on identifying trees and learning about them. This is of course a great way to learn about the trees in this area which are usually considered so difficult to ID. On the 11th of May 2011 the outing will explore the surroundings of the Isinkwe Bushcamp at Bushlands, which has nice variety of trees. All FGASA members are welcome to come and participate for free. Start at 11:45 AM, Isinkwe Bushcamp, Bushlands. The outing ends about 3 PM.

Optional hamburger or chicken burger meal and salad + 1 soft drink afterwards. Cost R40.R50 for 2 burgers and salad. Please rsvp who is attending both the outing and staying for drink and burgers afterwards so we can plan and cater. This can be done by commenting on this post or by emailing greg@isinkwe.co.za

For more info phone Greg Davies on 0791893996

Make sure you come, it is an awesome way to learn more trees in KZN!

Click here for a summary of the previous outing in April http://fgasakznnorth.blogspot.com/2011/04/report-on-great-tree-outing-at-ehlatini.html

Venue for burgers, salad and drinks afterwards

How to get to Isinkwe Bushcamp

KZN North: Welcome FGASA Members!

2011-05-18T05:44:00.000+02:00

Since the FGASA office has sent out the news about our KZN North forum to almost 300 active FGASA members in the KZN North Region, many have indeed subscribed to this blog. They will be automatically updated about any news or informed about upcoming activities that are either fun, give you the opportunity to learn more and improve as a guide, or both!
This posts serves to let you all know that as the FGASA KZN North committee we are committed to get an active and professional guiding community going in this region. So we would indeed like to welcome you! Have you not yet subscribed, you can do so on the right of this page. All it takes is just entering your email address and clicking on the verification link. No spam and no distribution of your email addresses, promise. Just news about the KZN North Region. And also no obligations from your side. We are here just to inform you and welcome you to activities we organise. Please also know you can unsubscribe with one click at any time, no hassle.
We do welcome contributions from members, so if you have something to share that is of interest to all members in the KZN North region, feel free to submit it to the administrator (nick.vandewiel@gmail.com).

Welcome once again and looking forward to meeting you at one of our activities.

The FGASA KZN North Committee.

Ps: Everybody is still welcome to attend the Tree Outing at the Memorial Gate of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park upcoming Saturday. Participation is free!

KZN North, important news for all guides!

2011-05-18T04:51:00.002+02:00

All guides and tourism operators please take note of the following:

(Click on image to enlarge)

KZN North 21st of May, Tree Outing Hluhluwe

2011-05-14T04:53:00.003+02:00

The Tree Enthusiast Working Group in Hluhluwe is organising tree outings usually every second Saturday of the month. They are led by Dr Du Randt which is a tree specialist in the area. Every time a different area will be visited and will focus on identifying trees and learning about them. This is of course a great way to learn about the trees in this area which are usually considered so difficult to ID. On the 21st of May 2011 the outing will explore the surroundings of the Memorial Gate of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Parky, which has nice variety of trees. All FGASA members are welcome to come and participate for free. Start at 11:30 AM, Memorial Gate parking. The outing ends about 2 PM. For more info phone Greg Davies on 0791893996

Make sure you come, it is an awesome way to learn more trees in KZN!
Click here for a summary of the previous outing in April http://fgasakznnorth.blogspot.com/2011/04/report-on-great-tree-outing-at-ehlatini.html

KZN North Lecture on Animal Behaviour

2011-04-21T10:42:00.003+02:00

As the FGASA KZN North committee we realise that many learners have already started studying for the next national sitting, and that some people struggle with certain modules. Hence we are happy and proud to offer a lecture on Module 16: Animal Behaviour, to help those learners that struggle to come to grabs with group hierarchies, the differences between flash colouration, counter shading and disruptive markings, the differences between home ranges and territories, and what all the different definitions of animal behaviour and related aspects actually mean. The lecture will focus on FGASA material, and will be specifically aimed to get you ready for the exam. The lecture will be given by Dylan Panos, a FGASA Level 3 trails guide with years of experience.

When: Tuesday the 17th of May, 7 pm to 10 pm (including time for questions, actual lecture will be shorter)

Where: Ehlatini Bush Camp, False Bay. (Take R22 from Hluhluwe Town towards Sodwana Bay. Just before you get Amorello on your left, there is a turn off into a dirt road on your right, sign posted with Ehlatini Bush Camp. Take the first left, follow the road as it turns left, first right again and there you go. Follow the signs Ehlatini Bush Camp/Bhejane Nature Training)

Costs: Paid up FGASA members: R50, Non-FGASA members R100. Fees payable upon arrival.

Need transport? Comment on this post to find buddies so you can drive up together.

Regards,

The FGASA KZN North committee

Report on a great tree outing at Ehlatini!

2011-04-17T12:37:00.004+02:00

It was my first participation in a tree outings organized by the Tree Enthusiast Working Group, and I didn’t quite know what to expect. I am glad to let you know that I found it a resounding success! The trees in KZN North are often considered very difficult to identify, partly due to the enormous variety of species we get here, and partly because of the fact that many of them are the almost non-descript single leaf species. Now what is the best way to learn trees? No, it is not going out with a good tree book yourself… Yes, it is true that any tree fully keyed out by yourself is likely to get stuck in your memory, but this process is just too time consuming and for that reason alone few people/guides even try. And how often do you key out a tree and then come to the conclusion that you are ‘not sure’ if you keyed it out correctly? No, a better way to learn trees is to get taught by an expert, and then go over those newly learned trees over and over again. You avoid the risk of memorizing mis-identified trees, it is much quicker and if you do if with a group of people it is a lot more fun too. And this is exactly what how the tree outings are conducted. Dr. Du Randt is a true tree expert, not only able to identify every tree on sight, but also able to explain and point out WHY it is that tree. In other words, being able to explain where to look for to come to a definitive conclusion as to what tree it is. Another great aspect of his teaching is that he works toward a genus first, and then suggests you look in a book to work out which individual species it is. You see a tree/shrub that looks a bit like a Croton? Just check if it has two small glands where the petiole joins the leaf, and you know it for certain. Then just check in the book which one of the 7 Crotons it is. Oh, you see 4 winged pods? Check whether the leaves are alternate and whether the veins below are prominent and you can be pretty sure you are looking at a Combretum. Now just look in the book again to see which one you are looking at. Being able to work with trees in such a way is much quicker than to key a plant out from the beginning.

Dr. Du Randt likes repetition, and throughout the 2 hours excursions he keeps on asking the things he taught that day before, to ensure it gets stuck in your head. He also ‘only’ does about 20-25 trees at a day, as he realizes that that is about the maximum you can learn and process in a day. Then you get a month or so to practice these before the next tree outing.

All in all, I found it a fun and very valuable learning experience, and will definitely attend again. And I would advise any guide in the region that wants to know his/her trees a bit better to come and join us next time. Just look at the agenda for dates/places.

An overview of trees we did on the 9^th of April.

1. Grewia microthyrsa Sand raisin

2. Croton steenkampianus Maputaland croton

3. Hymenocardia ulmoides Red heart tree

4. Pteleopsis myrtifolia Stink bushwillow

5. Cleistanthus schlechteri False Tamboti

6. Newtonia hilderbrandtii Lebombo wattle

7. Rhipsalis baccifera Epiphyte

8. Albizia adianthifolia Flat crown albizia

9. Vangueria randii Coast wild medlar

10. Strelitzia nicolai Natal Wild banana

11. Ficus tremula Tremble leaf fig

12. Trichilia emetica Natal mahogany

13. Tabernaemontana elegans Toad tree

14. Haplocoelum foliolosum Galla plum

15. Trema orientalis Pigeonwood

16. Vitex ferruginea Plum finger leaf

17. Combretum mkuzense Maputoland bushwillow

18. Strychnos henningsii Natal Teak

19. Acacia sieberiana Paperbark thorn

20. Cereus jamacaru Queen of the night

21. Brachylaena discolor Coast silver oak

22. Antidesma venosum Tassel-berry

23. Sclerocroton integerrimum Duiker-berry

24. Vangueria infausta Velvet wild-medlar

It was a great productive outing…we added 9 new species to the accumulative list collected since starting the dendrologists outings in 2010.

News: Leopard project in Somkhanda Game Reserve

2011-04-07T18:36:00.001+02:00

South of the Pongola river lies the Somkhanda Game Reserve, which is situated between the Pongola Game Reserve and Zululand Rhino Reserve. The Gumbi community successfully claimed 20,000ha of land in 2005. 16,000ha of this the Gumbi’s consolidated into a single game reserve and 4000ha were set aside for the 650 families that comprise the community. The reserve consolidation involved the dropping of internal fences with three different farms, and gave rise to the Somkhanda Game Reserve. Thanks to the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, 11 black rhino were released onto the reserve in 2008. Also, many other animals occur here naturally and amongst those are a number of leopards. The Northern Zululand Honorary Rangers have recently concluded their leopard survey and published their results. In brief this is what they did and found:

From July 2010 to December 2010 digital camera traps were set up throughout the reserve, and 13 distinct leopard individuals (+ at least 2 cubs) were photographed and identified, including two adult territorial males. Using a scientific method and formula the leopard density for the area could be calculated and came to approximately 7 leopards per 100 square km, which is quite a decent score for a newly established protected area. A similar study done in the Mun-ya-wane leopard project revealed densities of approximately 11 leopards per 100 km²in core conservation areas, 7 leopards per 100 km² in a buffer protected area, and 2 leopards per 100 km² in unprotected farmland.

The population in Somkhanda appears to include a healthy distribution of adult males, adult females, subadults and cubs further indicating a healthy, growing population. Although the population in Somkhanda appears to be recovering and maintaining better than a comparable reserve, there is still room for population growth, and we believe the population is still vulnerable.

As usual, many other species of animals were also ‘accidentally’ captured on camera. These are two of the most unusual ones.

For the full report, please email Nick.vandewiel@gmail.com. For questions regarding the project email leopardproject@gmail.com.

9th of April: Tree Outing Ehlatini Bush Camp

2011-03-30T12:41:00.008+02:00

The Tree Enthusiast Working Group in Hluhluwe is organising tree outings every second Saturday of the month. They are led by Dr Du Randt which is a tree specialist in the area. Every time a different area will be visited and will focus on identifying trees and learning about them. This is of course a great way to learn about the trees in this area which are usually considered so difficult to ID. On the 9th of April 2011 the outing will explore the surroundings of Ehlatini Bush Camp in False Bay, which is famous for its enormous ancient Lebombo Wattles. All FGASA members are welcome to come and participate for free. Start at 11:30 AM, Ehlatini Bush Camp, (on the R22 from Hluhluwe to Sodwana, turn right just before Amarello and follow the signs Ehlatini Bush Camp/Bhejane Nature Training). The outing ends about 2 PM. For more info phone Greg Davies on 0791893996

A Potjiekos will be held at the Bhejane Nature Training camp for the afternoon, all members are welcome to stay for this. Fee for Potjiekos is R60 per person. Contact dpanos@tiscali.co.za to get directions and further details.

News: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Count 2010

2011-03-30T10:54:00.000+02:00

For us as guides it is always interesting and good to know approximately how many of each species of animal actually occur in given parks. The latest figures for game numbers in the 96:000 hectare Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park are listed below.

Species	Estimate	Long Term Trend
Buffalo	4789	+ Increasing
Giraffe	874	+ Increasing
Impala	14054	- Decreasing
Kudu	717	- Decreasing
Nyala	4082	- Decreasing
Waterbuck	136	- Decreasing
Warthog	1531	- Decreasing
White Rhino	2312	+ Increasing
Wildebeest	3002	- Decreasing
Zebra	2749	- Decreasing
Black Rhino	200	- Decreasing
Cheetah	40
Elephant	550 - 600	+ Increasing
Hippo	20	Stable
Leopard	80
Lion	200	+ Increasing
Wild Dog	110	+ Increasing, Stable
Hyena	303	Stable

News: Suspected Rhino Poacher shot in Ndumo.

2011-03-27T14:30:00.000+02:00

EZEMVELO KWAZULU-NATAL WILDLIFE MEDIA RELEASE No: 2011 - 10

25 March 2011 - SUSPECTED POACHER FATALLY WOUNDED IN NDUMO - A suspected rhino poacher was fatally wounded in a shooting incident with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (Ezemvelo) field rangers in the Mganu area in the north of central Ndumo Game Reserve at about 18.00 on 24 March 2011.The death of this rhino brings the KZN total of poached rhinos to nine - seven from KZN protected areas and two from private properties, and follows the shooting of another white rhino in Ndumo on 22 March 2011.

For the most recent news concerning rhino poaching check: http://www.stoprhinopoaching.com/

Did You Know: Why lions live in prides...

2011-03-24T21:08:00.000+02:00

New research suggests that lions do not live in prides because it is safer, nicer, easier to catch food or whatsoever. Instead, it suggests the primary reason for lions to have developed a social structure is that only then they can defend and maintain a good hunting ground. Read a summary on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12806519

or the full story on http://www.cbs.umn.edu/eeb/lionresearch/research/groupliving.shtml

News: Another Rhino poached

2011-03-24T02:13:00.000+02:00

Another Rhino got poached in South Africa, this time in the KZN North Region. Bhejane Nature Training students were at Ndumo Game Reserve last week and came across a young rhino calf with a adult bull rhino.The calf was crying and nudging the bull for milk, and it was in a bad condition. They reported this to the section ranger, who told them that the calf's mother had been shot dead and her horn hacked off. The suffering this poacher caused to the calf must be immense. White rhino calfs stay with their mothers for 3 years and form a strong bond. This calf must have stayed by his mothers side suckling from her dead body till hunger drove him away!

In The Picture: The Eastern Shores of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

2011-03-21T19:51:00.000+02:00

Todays 'In The Picture' features one of the gems of the KZN North Region: the iSimangaliso Wetland Park! The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is the ‘new’ name for the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, and is considered the oldest game reserve in South Africa, being established in 1895. In December 1999 it became South Africa’s first Natural World Heritage Site. It got this title for a reason: The 332.000 hectare park, stretching from just South of the town of St. Lucia all the way up to Mozambique, contains three major lake systems, 8 interlinking ecosystems, 700 year old fishing traditions, most of South Africa’s remaining swamp forests, Africa’s largest estuarine system, 526 bird species and 25.000 year old coastal dunes – amongst the highest in the world. It is a park where one can see elephants and whales or turtles in one day, where one can dive in the morning, go on game drive in the afternoon, and go on a turtle walk on the beach in the evening.

That might sound all nice and well, but in reality it is still very much a park in development. But in this fact lies the beauty in my opinion. We can see this development, we can be a part of it. Only 18 years ago they started to remove all 14.000 hectare of alien pine trees, the stumps of which can still be seen in some places. We can see them rotting away, and we can see new vegetation over successive generations. Elephants, cheetah, wild dog etc have been reintroduced again to different sections of the park, and new tourist roads are continuously being built to make it more accessible for tourists. And although it is officially a 332.000 hectare big single protected area, it is currently still ‘divided’ by wilderness areas, inaccessible areas, and stretches of disputed community land, resulting in the fact that it has multiple sections with different entrance gates. What it comes down to: If you enter the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in Mkhuze, don’t think you’re gonna be able to drive to the beach and see whales, but you have a good chance of seeing cheetah and elephant. If you enter the park at Kosi Bay, you might not see any mammals but in the right season you might see loggerhead and leatherback turtles. So if you plan a visit, think about what you would like to do and see, and then see which section of the park can meet your needs and deliver your wishes. Because of this we have decide to make this blog post a bit of a sequel. In various weeks I would like to show you the different sections in a photo essay, which will allow you to make an informed decision as to which section of the park you would like to visit, if not all ;-)

For today, I would like to show you the ‘Eastern Shores’ of the Park. This section lies to the East of the Lake St. Lucia (hence the name), and in turn has the Indian Ocean on its East side. The Eastern Shores is the most popular section for bush & beach lovers, as a typical day here includes a game drive in the morning, lunch and a few hours on the beach at Cape Vidal, and then a afternoon game drive back to St. Lucia town. Highlights include:

Superb landscapes & sweeping vistas of the wetland savanna, which looks like no other savanna in South Africa. In fact, the openness of vast grasslands with only here and there a tree looks more like the classic East African Savanna, than like the usual ‘more bushy’ South African savanna.

[Typical Landscape]

Catalina Bay is a section of the St. Lucia lake, and is always worth a visit for bird lovers. Plenty of crocodile and hippo can be seen there too.

[Catalina Bay]

Chances of seeing elephant, cheetah, wild dog and lions here are remote to zero, as the latter three don’t occur here yet, and the elephants only cross the lake a couple of times a year to explore the Eastern Shores. The other days of the year one can find them on the Western Shores. However, the Eastern Shores has a large population of disease free buffalo which are often encountered, as are the rhino’s. For me one of the greatest assets are the magnificent kudu often found here out in the open. They have huge horns, and also the waterbuck are very impressive. The smaller relative of the Waterbuck, the Southern Reedbuck is very common here and easily observed. With a bit of luck one might encounter one of the many leopards in the area.

[Greater Kudu]

[Southern Reedbuck]

[Leopard]

The narrow strip of coastal forest running along the coastal dunes are home to the Sykes’ (or Samango) Monkey, which are quite habituated to humans (and photographers!).

[Sykes’ Monkey]

Once one drives over the dunes to visit Mission Rocks or Cape Vidal, a complete new world opens up. Beautiful beaches, both sandy and rocky, are great for fishing, snorkeling, surfing, swimming, sunbathing and of course photography. It is amazing how much colourful life lives on those rocks, and for the photographer patient enough hermit crabs come out of their shell, and ghost crabs out of their burrows. It can be really rewarding to sit dead still for a while.

Talking about little critters, the herpetofauna is great here to, thanks to the high diversity of ecosystems, of which most are relatively wet. For the photographer with a keen eye and the right equipment in terms of flashes, softboxes, tripods and remote releases, little frogs and chameleons are happy to pose and can yield really nice photos.

Enough for today, next month more about the Western Shores of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Kind Regards,

Nick van de Wiel

Frequently Asked Questions

2011-03-18T11:09:00.003+02:00

1) What is FGASA?

FGASA is the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa, in the industry known as FGASA. It was established in 1990 to raise and safeguard professional guiding standards in Southern Africa, as well as to represent guides in the tourism industry.

FGASA is a THETA accredited Training Provider – they provide you with an opportunity to get a recognised qualification that will give you a competitive advantage in the job-market. They further support you as a guide by ensuring that your qualifications retain their value by constantly monitoring the relevance and quality of training and assessment offered by FGASA. FGASA guides can therefore proudly advertise their association with FGASA, knowing that they are amongst a community of sought after guides.

2) Why should I become a member of FGASA?

Being a member of FGASA has several benefits:

1. You can write FGASA exams and so further your career by attaining new qualifications

2. In the Game Lodge and Safari Industry, FGASA is recognised as a training provider that provides a high standard of training. The benefit of this to the guide is that your training is better recognised, making you more employable and potentially increasing your chances of negotiating a better salary. FGASA qualifications also provide you with the opportunity to advance your level of training, and to get recognition for your additional or specialist training such as Specialist Birding, Trails Guiding, Advanced Rifle Handling or Marine Guiding.

3. You can order books at a discounted price at the FGASA bookshop

4. You will have free or discounted access to many lectures, activities, excursions or workshops organised by FGASA regional committees, where non-FGASA members will be required to pay the premium

5. FGASA is always working towards promoting FGASA guides in the industry, and to create new opportunities for their members, thus your membership is also a marketing tool for yourself

6. You will receive the quarterly Field News Magazine, with interesting articles, news and relevant advertisements or career opportunities

3) Does FGASA want as many members as possible?

It is important to remember that FGASA’s aim is not to sell itself to members and to get as many members as possible. The aim is to get all professional and good guides to join the organisation, those that do not meet the standard should not be members to start with – this is the only way that you as a professional guide can differentiate yourself. So come and lets outcompete the non-professional guys until they wake up!

4) How much does becoming a member cost?

There is a once off registration fee of R240 for new members, and an annual fee of R380.

5) Do I need FGASA to become a legal guide?

No, the minimum requirement to register as a legal guide in South Africa, is proof of competence against the THETA Nature Site Guide Skills Programme. This can be attained from any THETA accredited training provider. FGASA is not the only THETA accredited training provider for this skills programme, but pride themselves in a long association with Game Lodge and Safari operators, leading to a standard of training that is relevant to the current guiding industry and well recognized by the majority of Game Lodge and Safari operators. Many vacancies for guides are advertised with a FGASA qualification as a requirement for the applicant. This simply means that the lodge or operator in question prefers guides that have been trained by FGASA to guides that have been trained by other THETA accredited training providers.

The THETA Nature Site Guide Skills Programme, is contained in the FGASA Level 1 qualification, and therefore attaining the FGASA Level 1 certificate would make you eligible to register as a legal guide. In other words: If you qualify with FGASA, you get two certificates, one FGASA Level 1 certificate, and one THETA Nature Site Guide (NQF 2) certificate. Also see question 11, 12 and 13

6) What else do I need to become a legal guide?

In addition to your THETA Site Guide Certificate (ie FGASA Level 1) you also need a valid First Aid Certificate that is recognised by the Department of Labour. Make sure that you use an accredited training provider when you do your first aid training and remember to ask if the training will be recognised by the Department of Labour.

If you are a driving guide, you will also need to submit proof of your driver’s licence and your PDP (Professional Driver’s Permit).

With all of this in hand you can complete your registration with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). This you can do at Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) at http://www.kzn.org.za/index.php?view_page+58071

Only after you have done this you are a legal guide. It is interesting and good to note that TKZN also accepts FGASA certificates as proof that you also have the equivalent THETA certificate, as it can take a while before THETA actually sends you the certificate after you have done the training and passed the assessment. Also see question 11, 12 and 13

7) I have qualified with FGASA Level 1 but have not yet received my THETA certificate, can I use my FGASA certificate instead to become a legal guide?

Yes, as a THETA accredited training provider, DEAT will accept your FGASA Level 1 certificate as proof of your training. The certificate must however be accompanied by a letter from FGASA which will state your areas of competence. This letter is always issued together with a Level 1 certificate, so make sure that you keep this in a safe place as you will need it for DEAT registration.

8) What does FGASA do for me?

FGASA works on your behalf to promote professional field guiding in the industry, in doing so promoting you as an individual. In addition: FGASA is an accredited THETA Training Provider – they provide you with an opportunity to get a recognised qualification that will give you a competitive advantage in the job-market. They further support you as a guide by ensuring that your qualifications retain their value by constantly monitoring the relevance and quality of training and assessment offered by FGASA. FGASA guides can therefore proudly advertise their association with FGASA, knowing that they are amongst a community of sought after guides. See also question 2. But most importantly, maybe you must start asking what you are doing for yourself? Note that FGASA does not run your career for you, it is YOUR responsibility to stand out as a guide. FGASA is there to help you, to give you the tools so to say, but the onus is on you to be a sought after individual guide.

9) For 380 rand a year, all I get is this Field News publication. I can also get a subscription to FHM for that amount of money and then at least I get to see some hotties! How does that work?

True, you get to see some hotties, but how does that help you in your guiding career? It is not true that all you get this Field News publication, you get much more from FGASA for you membership fees. See question 2.

10) I was a member, did my FGASA Level 1, never bothered to renew my membership, but now 2 years down the line I want to write Level 2 and FGASA requires me to pay membership fees for the past two years before I can register again. Why is that?

Ah, good question! This is basically because it is not fair of you to just 'use' FGASA to get qualifications. Like any relationship, a membership with FGASA is a two-way street. FGASA uses your membership fees to ensure that the FGASA learning programmes you want to achieve through them, are up to date and accredited with THETA. FGASA also spends a lot of time liaising with the guiding industry and all of its stakeholders to ensure that they assist in making it a better industry for guides to work in. They were still busy doing all of this in the two years that you did not pay your membership fees. So, if you want to reap the benefits of all their efforts, it is nothing but fair to request that you pay your overdue membership fees. Especially so for all other members that have paid their memberships every year. In short: FGASA works for you every year, and in doing so creates opportunities for you. You are required to pay your annual membership fee in return, not just only when it 'suits' you or when you suddenly 'need' FGASA.

11) What qualifications can I get through FGASA

For a full and up to date list, see: http://www.fgasa.co.za/qualifications.asp

12) I am a THETA qualified guide with years of experience, I want to become a FGASA guide, must I really do this FGASA Level 1 first?

No you don’t. However it is important to note the following: Although FGASA is a THETA accredited training provider, it is not accredited to ‘RPL’ (Recognition of Prior Learning) someone so they cannot just give you a given FGASA qualification. You will have to do at least one FGASA theory and its equivalent practical assessment to show that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to be worthy of a given FGASA qualification. After an initial interview FGASA might allow you to write the FGASA Level 2 or even Level 3 theory exam directly (without having to do Level 1 and Level 2 respectively), but it will give you only 1 (one) chance! Should you fail that theory exam and still want to become a FGASA member and guide, you will have to start at the bottom with writing the Level 1 theory exam, and carry on with the whole subsequent qualification process. So make sure you don’t overestimate your knowledge and aim too high.

13) What is THETA?

THETA is one of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA’s) and is short for the Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority. Please note that the name of this SETA will change with effect from the 1^st of May 2011 and will from then be known as the CATHSSETA, which is the acronym for Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority.

THETA (and all other SETA’s) has been established under the Skills Development Act (Nr 97 of 1998) and report to the Minister or Education and the South African Qualifications Authority. All THETA’s qualifications are registered on the National Qualifications Framework, which ensures that they will be recognised by all employers in South Africa.

THETA’s main responsibility is to ensure the availability and standardisation of training within their sector. To do this, they oversee the development of new qualifications and provide for the accreditation of training providers to deliver training for these qualifications. THETA must constantly monitor the standard and quality of education and training offered by training providers in their sector to ensure that these goals are met. Students who have completed a training programme with an accredited THETA training provider (such as FGASA), will then receive a THETA certificate with the names of the national qualifications or skills programmes that the student has attained. FGASA is one of the THETA accredited training providers. Thus if you do a FGASA learning programme you also get 'the equivalent' THETA qualification as FGASA lets THETA know that you were found competent.

14) What is the difference between FGASA and THETA?

THETA conducts no training themselves; they have accredited training providers for this purpose, of which FGASA is one.

FGASA is one of THETA’s accredited training providers, and can provide training and assessment against the Nature Site Guide Skills Programmes that has been registered by THETA. In addition to being a THETA accredited provider, FGASA is also a non-profit organization that has been established to support and develop nature guides in Southern Africa. In line with this, FGASA not only trains the national skills programmes of THETA, but have also developed their own additional programmes to further enhance the knowledge and skills of nature guides that are associated with FGASA. The benefit of this to the FGASA guide, is a value added qualification that is relevant, recognised and in demand by the safari industry. Also see question 2 above.

15) Must I register myself with THETA in order to get my certificate?

No, your accredited training provider does this on your behalf in accordance with their administrative requirements as a training provider.

16) What is this FGASA KZN North thing?
In 2010 it was established that FGASA members in the region felt that their relationship/membership with FGASA was 'distant' and that FGASA should reach out more to its members in this region, and making the relationship/membership more relevant. As a result: a regional committee was formed by FGASA members in the region which report to and are supported by the FGASA head office, in order to 'bridge' the felt gap.

17) What is the aim of the FGASA KZN North Committee?
The aim of the committee is two-fold: The committee aims to improve the standard of guiding in the region, as FGASA has been doing nation wide. In addition, it wants to reach out, on behalf of FGASA, to its members and help them improve their knowledge, speed up their career, and to make their guiding an even more enjoyable profession.

18) What does the FGASA KZN North Committee do?
In line with its aims, it does various things:
- It informs you about any news (game counts, poaching, change in legislation, job opportunities etc.) that is of relevance for guides (and tour operators).
- It organises activities, excursions and lectures that are available for free or for discounted rates for FGASA members (although Non-FGASA members are also welcome to attend/participate).
- It reminds you of dates and deadlines of FGASA exams.
- It informs you of available First Aid and Firearm training dates
- It is open for any questions and will make an effort to answer all your questions about FGASA as comprehensively and as soon as possible.
- It submits interesting articles about guiding or guiding areas in the region, to improve your knowledge.

19) Who serves on the committee?
The FGASA KZN North committee is run by guides and other interested people who are committed to supporting FGASA in the KZN North Region. They do this voluntarily and are elected by FGASA and the guides of the region during quarterly regional meetings. Make sure you attend the next meeting if you are interested in becoming involved or would like to recommend anyone to serve on the committee. Currently the committee is headed by Christa Panos, who is supported by Warwick Nielsen who represents the Zululand Rhino Reserve, Greg Davies who represents the Bushlands and Hluhluwe area, and Nick van de Wiel who represents the St. Lucia area. The latter is also the administrator of the FGASA KZN North website/blogspot.

20) I want to be involved! What can I do?
As stated above, it would be a good idea to attend a regional meeting to get into touch with other active FGASA members of the region. If you are for some reason unable to attend regional meetings, either due to working conditions, distance or other factors, you can always take the initiative to organise a local meeting. Please contact nick.vandewiel@gmail.com to get some more information about this.

21) Are the activities, excursions and lectures that the FGASA KZN North Region organises also available for non-FGASA members?
Yes, as the FGASA KZN North committee strives to improve the standard of guiding in the region, they want to reach out to all guides in the region, FGASA members or not. However, non-FGASA members are often required to pay a little more for the activities, excursions and lectures. In acting so, the committee hopes to persuade the non-FGASA member to become a FGASA member. Remember: One of FGASA's aims is to get all professional and good guides to join the organisation, while the guides that do not meet those criteria should not be members at all (See question 3). By showing an interest in the organised activities, excursions and lectures you are showing a professional attitude and hence FGASA would like to welcome you.

22) My question is not listed above. What must I do?

Please email the administrator of the FGASA KZN North committee on nick.vandewiel@gmail.com with your question, and he will get back to you as soon as possible.