Umsele Field Conservation Project In Balule Nature Reserve, Greater Kruger

• Single project
• 2 – 12 weeks

Help as part of Balule Nature Reserve’s official wider research team in the Greater Kruger

Join the only field team operating as Balule Nature Reserve’s research arm in the Greater Kruger system. As a volunteer, you’ll help fill a crucial monitoring gap in an under-studied section of the reserve, assisting with the collection of ecological data used to understand predator activity, elephant impacts, threatened bird populations and rewilding needs. This is real, hands-on conservation work alongside a team relied on at the highest management level.

Contribute data that strengthens EWT’s conservation decisions

The information you help collect matters. Your fieldwork feeds directly into Balule’s official databases and the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT) conservation reports, becoming part of the evidence used to guide wildlife protection across the Greater Kruger region. By supporting data collection that aligns with regional and international biodiversity goals, you help ensure conservation actions are guided by reliable science rather than assumption.

Build practical, conservation-focused skills through structured field training

Gain experience that can support academic work, personal development, or a potential transition into the conservation sector. Through daily field sessions, data processing tasks and short lectures, you’ll be introduced to core ecological methods used by conservation teams. You’ll then apply these skills as part of a mentored research group, rotating between four project areas: large carnivore monitoring, elephant impact studies, threatened bird surveys, and rewilding tasks.

Research iconic African wildlife in the Greater Kruger

Take part in meaningful monitoring of some of Africa’s most charismatic and threatened species, including lions, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, elephants and vultures. You’ll assist with building ID kits using AI-assisted image analysis, reviewing camera trap footage, checking vulture nests, conducting transects, and helping track how key species move through and shape a rewilded landscape.

Work with conservationists to restore habitats

Gain hands-on experience in real conservation work within the Greater Kruger National Park (GKNP). The Umsele research area borders a highway, railway, powerlines and old ranching infrastructure - places where wildlife is at risk. You’ll help patrol these areas, map potential danger points, monitor animal crossings, remove invasive plants and assist with clearing unnecessary fencing to restore habitats and reduce threats.

Ethical conservation at every level

This program prioritises sustainability and responsible research. From a solar-powered base camp to fieldwork methods that minimise disturbance to wildlife and support long-term ecosystem resilience, you’ll experience ethical conservation in action and gain insight into what day-to-day fieldwork truly looks like​​.

You’ll get involved in every aspect of project life. Depending on the project team’s priorities at the time, this will include a range of the following activities.

Large carnivore monitoring

Umsele is located in an under-surveyed area of Balule Nature Reserve, making your contributions especially valuable for understanding predator trends across the Greater Kruger region. You’ll work alongside conservation teams to help gather important data on predator presence, numbers, diversity, and behaviour.

You will get to assist:

• Placing camera traps at key locations (e.g. on game paths and at waterpoints) to monitor predators across all available territories.
• Reviewing camera trap footage to help record data on species, age, sex, the reproductive status of females, and the species of any kills.
• Creating ID kits with AI-assisted software to identify and monitor individual animals.
• Taking part in wildlife surveys during daily game drives, using tracks, signs, and vocalisations to locate predators.
• Sharing collected data with relevant conservation authorities and partners, such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the Balule Nature Reserve Research Team, where it contributes to monthly predator reports and forms part of wider research across the Greater Kruger National Park (GKNP).

Elephant impact research

While elephant populations are declining across Africa, numbers in the GKNP are on the rise, leading to concerns of negative environmental impacts such as tree loss and habitat degradation. You’ll contribute to fieldwork aimed at understanding how elephants shape the environment and where management may be needed to protect vulnerable habitats.

You will get to assist:

• Carrying out vegetation transects to record signs of elephant impact such as bark stripping, branch breakage, and canopy dieback.
• Documenting tree density and species abundance, and helping identify which trees are most affected.
• Conducting transects around the camp waterhole to investigate how artificial waterpoints influence vegetation and browsing pressure.
• Monitoring elephant visits to the camp waterhole and helping build ID kits to understand herd movement, social structure, and habitat use.

Endangered bird monitoring

The research area supports at least 15 breeding bird species classified as Threatened under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The project monitors the size of their nesting populations to assess their vulnerability.

You will get to assist:

• During breeding season (typically May - December) - gathering data on nest locations and the identity of nesting species.

You may also get to assist:

• Alerting the warden and EWT vulture rescue unit to poisoning events.

Rewilding research

Umsele was once farmland and still contains a highway, powerlines, and an active railway line. These features can create risks for wildlife, including electrocutions, vehicle collisions and fencing injuries. You’ll support ongoing rewilding work designed to reduce injuries and improve habitat safety.

You will get to assist:

• Patrolling boundary fences, powerlines, and the railway to locate injured or deceased animals and reporting findings to reserve management.
• Monitoring wildlife crossing hotspots on the railway using camera traps.
• Collecting data on habitat conditions at these sites to understand what contributes to higher crossing or mortality rates.
• Removing invasive plant species and helping take down unnecessary fencing that poses entanglement risks.

You’ll learn about the behaviour, ecology, and conservation issues of species living in the Greater Kruger region, as well as various wildlife research skills.

Practical field research skills

• How to set up and maintain wildlife camera traps.
• Techniques for wildlife tracking using spoor (tracks), scat, and vocalisations.
• How to record species data (age, sex, health, reproductive status).
• Using GPS devices for mapping animal locations and tagging research sites.
• Conducting wildlife surveys and collecting reliable field data.

Large carnivore ecology

• Predator behaviour, movement patterns, and how these are influenced by human activities.
• How to identify individual carnivores from markings and other features.
• Methods of recording interspecific and intraspecific interactions.
• Understand the importance of sharing data to national conservation databases for maximising conservation impact.

Elephant impact assessment

• How to identify tree species and measure ecological indicators of tree health (height, canopy size, diameter).
• Recognising and measuring signs of elephant damage.
• How to conduct plant transects and assess habitat health.
• How elephants act as ecosystem engineers shaping the landscape.
• How piosphere studies help evaluate the ecological effects of artificial waterpoints.

Avian conservation skills

• How to identify endangered bird species, nests, and nesting behaviours.
• Recording nest site characteristics during the breeding season.
• Develop expertise in wildlife poisoning response, through involvement in vulture mass poisoning response work.
• How vultures act as critical scavengers that prevent disease spread.

Human-wildlife conflict

• Learn survey methods for patrolling railways, roads, fences, and powerlines for injured wildlife.
• How to record patterns of wildlife collisions and electrocutions.
• Identifying habitat factors linked to higher danger zones.
• Identifying infrastructure conflict and how this feeds into future mitigation design.
• Invasive plant species removal techniques and their ecological benefits.

Data management and conservation reporting

• Data management software for organising and analysing field data.
• How research findings feed into management plans and rapid response work for large protected areas.
• How to produce ID kits with AI-assisted image analysis, habitat maps, and basic reports.
• How GPS, camera traps and technology are transforming the scale and speed of wildlife research.

Conservation ethics and sustainable living

• Low-impact living practices such as solar-powered camp operations.
• Ethical wildlife research principles that minimise disturbance.
• The value of evidence-based decision-making for long-term ecosystem health.

This project contributes to a variety of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. As part of the team, so will you.

The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.

No Poverty End poverty in all its forms everywhere

By offering paid volunteering opportunities, the project attracts international funding that provides a means for the reserve team to monitor and protect wildlife within the Greater Kruger National Park.

Quality Education Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

All volunteers acquire knowledge of practical conservation and scientific data collection, how human actions can affect wildlife and how they can minimise this effect - and have access to the same standard of education regardless of sex and background.

Gender Equality Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Umsele provides equal employment opportunities and women hold key leadership and decision-making roles. The project also offers equal volunteering opportunities for women and men from outside the local community.

Clean Water and Sanitation Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

The project safeguards aquatic ecosystems through its monitoring work and activities within a protected conservation area.

Affordable and Clean Energy Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Umsele has implemented a modern solar energy system to power the project base camp efficiently and sustainably.

Decent Work and Economic Growth Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Umsele routinely employs young people between 15 and 24 and provides equal employment opportunities for local men and women. Volunteers provide both economic and physical support, which directly contributes to the protection of all the species in the area.

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

Through the financial support generated by self-funded international volunteers, Umsele has been able to implement a solar energy system that powers the project - thereby developing resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure in Africa.

Sustainable Cities and Communities Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

By helping to conserve Africa’s iconic wildlife and the ecosystems they sustain, the project contributes to building resilient natural landscapes that support sustainable livelihoods and align with efforts to make human settlements safer and more sustainable.

Responsible Consumption and Production Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Umsele promotes responsible tourism in a variety of ways: through the creation of local jobs; by educating international and local visitors how to live in harmony with nature; and in its vital conservation work.

Climate Action Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Umsele educates all international volunteers about the impacts of climate change on ecosystems within the Greater Kruger National Park.

Life on Land Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Umsele takes significant action to halt the loss of biodiversity and prevent the extinction of threatened species. By monitoring and protecting species and ecosystems within the Greater Kruger Park, they prevent the degradation of natural habitats and halt biodiversity loss.

The project also takes urgent action to prevent poaching, by relaying information on animals’ whereabouts to the regional anti-poaching unit and relevant researchers.

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

The project takes urgent action to prevent poaching, by relaying information on animals’ whereabouts to the regional anti-poaching unit and relevant researchers.

Partnerships for the goals Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Through our partnership with the Balule Nature Reserve and the Endangered Wildlife Trust, the Umsele Project strengthens collaborative conservation research within the Greater Kruger landscape, filling critical data gaps and generating findings that inform ecosystem-wide management and protection efforts.