30th July 2017 Enjoying my free-time in South Africa with the elephants. Riding an elephant probably was one of the most impressive things I've ever done. My 3rd week of volunteering in Knysna is about to begin...
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26th July 2017 Here an idea of what I saw during my Forest Survey on Wednesday. Walking through Knysna's forests with indigenous plants and trees up to about 600 years of age, we looked for the animals living in it and their trails. Having read about the leopards, snakes and other animals before going into the forest, I both hoped and was afraid of seeing them. We found the spoor of a caracal and bushbucks, as-well as the droppings of other indigenous animals. Moreover, we were able to see and hear several forest birds. The silence and peace of this place was just as fascinating as feeling the presense of rare animals like the leopards and monkeys. It definitely was an amazing experience!
24th July 2017 Today it was time for conservation. At first, we went to Pledge Nature Reserve in Knysna where we removed alien invasives like fern. In June, the Reserve was hard-hit by a big fire that destroyed many areas of Knysna. Walking through the partly burned down forest, we found spots of where some plants and invasive species survived the fire and then removed the invasives and their bulbs. After that tiring work, I was able to enjoy the African sun and learn about and see indigenous birds during a Bird Survey.
18th July 2017 On my second day of volunteering in Knysna, I took part in the programme "Ipana Banye". In the afternoon, we went to a nearby community and gave out soup which was soon emptied by the many people standing in line. It is a life-changing experience to do volunteering with Edge of Africa (edgeofafrica.com).
17th July 2017 Today's my first day of volunteering in Knysna. This is where I will spend my time helping the disadvantaged - teaching in pre-schools, painting walls is schools, building greenhouses, giving soup, spending time with people living in the home for the elderly, making surveys concerning HIV, food etc. I'm fascinated by the people living here - they know that a smile and being kind costs nothing.
