Snake handling course

Hi all,

Johan Marais author of the book a complete guide to snakes of Southern Africa will be holding another venomous snake handling course at the St Lucia crocodile center on the 9th September.

Any one interested in attending the course or would like to find out more information please contact Johan atjohan@reptileventures.com 

Regards

Emotional Intelligence workshop

Hi everyone

We are getting a professional Life and Business Coach in January 2012 at Bhejane Nature Training (False Bay, Hluhluwe) to run a 1 day Emotional Intelligence workshop. This is an excellent programme for anyone that regularly deals with guests or staff or want to improve their personal effectiveness and interpersonal relationships. 

Bhejane will cover all additional fees such as the facilitator’s travel, meals and accommodation. You will only pay the individual cost of training.  

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the ability to be aware of one’s own emotional state and that of others. People with low EQ often struggle with communication. This becomes more evident in an environment where there is no room for miscommunication. In order for a team to function effectively, the channels of communication must be open and allow individuals to express themselves without fear of retaliation or vengeance. Managing one’s own emotions effectively facilitates harmonious interaction with others. This is often because you are more aware of the impact your words and deeds have on others.

Emotional intelligence can also be defined as non-cognitive skills and competencies needed to successfully communicate and interact with people in our daily lives. Emotional intelligence allows you to manage your own and other’s emotions and to guide thinking and actions.

We used to believe that success depended solely on intelligence (IQ - the measure of an individual’s intellectual, analytical, rational and logical abilities.) If you were intellectually superior, the expectation was that you would succeed. This notion has long since changed since the discovery that one’s emotional intelligence (EQ) often plays a larger role than one’s IQ.

We can become more productive and successful at what we do and also help others to be more productive and successful by developing our Emotional Intelligence in the five EQ domains. Emotional Intelligence also helps to decrease conflict; improve relationships and 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 Factory and 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 it for us at R1200 per person.  As stated Bhejane will cover the extras (meals, accommodation and transport for the facilitator)

For more information please email Christa Panos at dpanos@tiscali.co.za or call her on 083-7263826.

Summary of Tourist Guides Workshop

On the 24th of August the KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism in collaboration with the National Department of Tourism held a Tourists Guides Workshop 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.

KZN North Lecture on Animal Behaviour

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