Bushwise's blog

Last week was ended on a high note, as all of our students did fantastic assessment drives. This week however, was a slightly different story, as everyone got stuck into their books to make sure they complete the other half of the FGASA level one qualification, the dreaded theory exam! For the last three to four days, some of our students were so pre-occupied with their study work, that they hardly came out their rooms, I am sure however, that all the hard work and efforts put into this will most definitely pay off!

As the course nears its end, students at Bushwise are almost done with their final practical drive assessments and have been doing very well. The FGASA level one exam is next week - good luck guys, study hard!

Monday the 23 April, and back at campus again after a well-deserved 7 day break! The usual camp clean-up and the mandatory town trip in order to return hired cars and some last minute shopping, since the weeks ahead heralds a lot of preparation for the forthcoming bird exams, game drive assessments, and the “dreaded” drivers’ licence test.

It is quite unimaginable that this week marks the start of the fourth semester and with that, a frantic scurrying to ‘polish’ guiding skills and finalise preparations for the upcoming week of Level 1 Practical assessments.

On both campuses the students went on ‘guest drives’, where the trainers showed the students one last time how to conduct a Game Drive in a professional manner and how to link, interpret and communicate what they see in an understandable way so that their guests would have a better understanding of the surrounding natural environment.

Over the past week the students were assessed some more, as some went on their shooting assessments for the first time, some did the tracking course and others got the chance to visit the famous Kruger National Park. Lots of excitement!

This week has started off with our first assessments on Advance Rifle Handling where learners are assessed on practical heavy calibre (dangerous game rifles) rifle handling skills.

The use of a heavy calibre rifle is often an everyday requirement for the nature guide, especially those that conduct walks within dangerous game areas, where the possibility may arise and the guide would be in need of employing these skills to protect both his guest and himself from possible attack.

Since the Mahlahla students were busy with their tracking course and our schedules are a little out of whack at the moment, we thought we would fill you in on what the Garonga students got up to last week!

This week the Mahlahla group were fortunate enough to host the first ever Cybertracker course here at Bushwise! (With the Garonga group to host their's in a week's time!). With everyone very excited, we set off on Monday afternoon to have a small glimpse into the wonderful world of tracking. The general consensus was that we were just going to identify easy tracks left by mammals, but we were so wrong! In our very first lesson we focussed mostly on how to look at tracks and in the process covered mammal, bird and even insect tracks! We were definitely in for something this week!

After having just completed the first Bushwise Birding Specialist course, set up by Garonga Senior Trainer JP Le Roux, we are pleased to announce it was a huge success and is now an all new inclusion in our six month and one year professional Field Guide courses!

Although some students viewed the course with in trepidation (after all, a full week dedicated only to birding is quite intense), these feelings soon vanished as all became totally enthralled by the fascinating world of birds.

Our hearts are filled with sadness, as a dear “Campus Friend” passed away this week. Students past and present were all very fond of “Bob the Frog”- a Grey Tree frog that lived in the one bathroom, whose chirping call would often resonate through the Farmhouse during all absurd hours of the day. It’s always sad when a familiar friend ‘croaks’...