This blog was written by Meere Malherbe, a Bushwise International Field Guide student. Each student takes a turn as camp manager, and writing a blog is part of the experience.
3 min read
It’s already the fifth week of being a Bushwise student. I can’t believe how time flies here. I can personally say that we’ve all grown closer and are a huge Bushwise family. We all look out for one another. I could not have asked for a better group!
Our week consisted of doing our presentations and our final lectures. Yes, that’s right, we are finally done with them! On Monday we did mammals, Tuesday was ethology, Wednesday was reptiles, Thursday was conservation management and historical human habitation. It has been a lot to take in for the past couple of days but at least we have each other.
On Saturday night the group got together for a braai! It was a good way to end the week! Braais always takes me back home, where every night my family and I would spend a whole night laughing and enjoying each other’s company, and Saturday was exactly that!
Every day we’d set off on our early morning and afternoon game drives. I always look forward to these because you never know what you might see. Every day one or two students will get their chance at driving us around and talking about nature and all its glory. I can proudly say that everyone has been doing an amazing job so far and can’t wait for the next one!
On Wednesday, we had our reptile lecture, and got to go to the Hoedspruit reptile park. We all enjoyed a different scene for once, and learned quite a lot. We got to experience some close encounters with some of people's biggest fears.
Every night, all the students get together and learn all the bird calls, and come up with their own personal way of remembering them. There are so many different calls and some sound so similar. It’s spectacular to see how hard everyone has been working and all the effort being put into the days! We should all be proud of ourselves.
Every weekend we do get some time to ourselves which is always wonderful. A few of us will often drive to Gravelotte or Hoedspruit, usually just to enjoy a day out at a restaurant or paddle. Sometimes even just to stock up on snacks.
The days have slowly but surely started to warm up. Whenever we study in the classroom, we put on our swimsuits and just hop into the pool to cool down before getting back to do some studying. I have to say I am quite excited to experience how nature changes when spring comes around and all the leaves and plants start to sprout (It will make botany a lot easier).
I have to be honest, the thought of being camp manager was like a constant worry that I had in the back of my head. I didn’t want anyone to feel that they needed to treat me differently, but as the time went on, I realised that nothing really changed. It felt like a normal week at camp. Being camp manager doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do your duties, but to make a good impression on others around you.
If anyone ever asked me if Bushwise is worth it, I would one hundred percent recommend it! It is so peaceful out in the bush, and it’s a great way to connect to nature and make amazing friends. Don’t wait till the last minute to do what you love, don’t be afraid to take that step in your life, you only live once. Make it worth your while!
Ready to embrace the wild and make lifelong friends? Explore Bushwise courses and apply now to start your adventure in nature!
