Our Project!

We have finally found out what project we are on in South Africa! We will be doing conservation work in Kruger National park...

More specifically we will be working within the Mdluli Concession in Kruger National Park, South Africa assisting with biodiversity surveys and conservation management. The Mdluli Private Concession covers over 3000 hectares, it is part of the 3 million hectares that make up Kruger Proper. The Mdluli Concession is named after the tribe, which owns the area. The main project on the Mdluli Concession is currently one concerning the effect of elephant damage and fire damage on the populations of other species such as birds, small mammals and invertebrates. The project has been going for around 2 years and will be continued by International Student Volunteers (ISV), which is us!

Although we have already raised some money for this project, which we are extremely grateful for, we have not yet reached our goal. We would really appreciate any amount you can afford, remember nothing is too small, honestly, every little bit counts. Help us to conserve South Africa's beautiful land and animals. You can make a donation by clicking on the "donate" button to the right of this page.

Thank you again for all your support!

Julie, Linda and Scott.

The Great Chocolate Sacrifice

I have decided to give up chocolate as of today (Monday 11 ^th October 2010) until I leave for South Africa in November. That is 40 days and 40 nights without any chocolate or anything chocolate flavoured, like chocolate icecream, or chocolate cake, or hot chocolate… The list is endless... I will not be eating anything that tastes like chocolate!

Those of you who already know me, know how difficult this task will be for me. For those of you who do not know me, you could pretty much say I have a chocolate addiction; I usually have some form of chocolate every single day, sometimes more. So me giving up chocolate is almost like a smoker giving up cigarettes!

The reason I am attempting this crazy fast is to raise funds for Scott, Linda and my volunteer trip to South Africa, which you can read more about in other posts within this blog. I know what you’re thinking, “How do we know she’s actually going to do it?” Well, Scott lives with me so he will know if I eat any chocolate, and well, you’re just going to have to trust me. If I promise to do something I will do. So… I promise to not eat any kind of chocolate for 40 days and 40 nights!

You can support me through this process by sponsoring me and clicking on the ‘donate’ button to the right of this page. By making a donation you will be helping a beautiful country remain beautiful.

Thank you for your support!

Julie

A bit about our trip.

Scott, Linda, and Julie are planning a trip to South Africa through

International Student Volunteers

to volunteer either on a conservation or community project.

South Africa has a turbulent history, resulting in a great divide between rich and poor. Many South Africans live in poverty and struggle to meet every day needs. Greater infrastructure development is a priority to meet basic human needs of the many South Africans living in townships. South Africa has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. However, due to urban expansion, hunting and habitat fragmentation, many species are threatened by extinction.

Carefully structured volunteer programs provide a means to make a real difference through community development and conservation. Volunteers can help with Township Renewal which involves focused work on school buildings and playgrounds, urban renewal projects, water and sanitation development. They can also make a difference on a private game reserve by assisting researchers to collect data through surveying and monitoring of flora and fauna used for conservation management. Additional tasks may involve maintenance activities and practical work around the reserve. Or they could make a difference by volunteering on a wildlife rehabilitation centre. Tasks involve light construction of facilities within the sanctuary and animal husbandry.


Last year's key achievements: 600 m interactive trail created for disabled children, 4,524 hours of invasive vegetation removal and 1,188 hours of animal care (cleaning, feeding and ambassador care)

We will be leaving Australia on 22nd November 2010 and are hoping to raise some money for our trip. Any support and/or donations would be extremely appreciated. Donations can be made via the Donate button on the right hand side of this page. It is done via PayPal, the safest way to use your credit card online. (If you don't already have a PayPal account, you can sign up via the Donate button also.) We have receipts that we are happy to post out to anyone that would like one. We are also happy to give you our bank details if an online transfer is preferred.

If you have any questions, we would love to answer them! Please read our individual testimonials, linked above in blue.

Thanks for visiting!

Scott, Linda, and Julie.