In the morning, volunteers will travel to the meerkat burrow, weigh the meerkats when they emerge, collect 3h of behavioural data after the meerkats start to forage, and weigh the meerkats again before returning to the farm house. At the farmhouse, volunteers will upload and manage the data they collected,…
There is good and regular internet access at the farm house but volunteers should be aware that this is not free as we buy satellite internet (it is cheap, though). There is good but sometimes patchy mobile phone reception and texts and calls can be made and received from the…
The living conditions at the field site are generous for a remote field site; volunteers are given their own room with a bed, a desk and other small furnishings. The farm house is shared by all at the project and there is a large communal kitchen and living area.
Successful applicants will be given a list of things we recommend they bring to the project and although no special equipment will be necessary, volunteers should bring a good pair of (minimum) 10×32 binoculars to aid observations in the field. Sometimes, we will ask UK residents if they could take…
Vegetarians and other dietary requirements (lactose intolerance and vegans, for example) are accommodated at the KMP, but keep in mind this is a remote field site, so you may not be able to eat exactly as you would in the comfort of your own home.
Successful applicants will apply for a research visa from the South African High Commission in their country.
The application process is described here. Unfortunately, we are only able to take volunteers who have a valid driving licence. Please note that we may ask successful volunteers who are UK or Swiss residents to carry field equipment to the site when they go.
There are no ‘special’ qualifications that are necessary to apply for a position. However, many applicants have completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant field (such as Biology, Zoology, Conservation, or Psychology), but this is not a prerequisite. Most successful applicants have some fieldwork experience, but again, this is not…
Although volunteers are unpaid, we provide accommodation and food at our study site and give a stipend of about 500 South African rand per month. The stipend is generally enough to cover personal internet use, mobile phone credit, and buying special food items for yourself (e.g. chocolate), though we recommend…
The KMP volunteer work is quite varied and volunteers learn numerous different skills including the collection of behavioural data, animal handling, habituation and radio-tracking. Please note that this is not a conservation project and you will not acquire skills in conservation management, although individuals interested in pursuing a career in…