Marine Conservation and Education Project in Cape Town

Marine Conservation & Education Volunteer Projects in South Africa

During your marine conservation and education project you will communicate information to young people in our under-resourced partner school.  A major focus of the project involves photographing marine animals, collecting marine education information, developing a poster project and presenting the project to the school for further education programmes.  This project is run in conjunction with our school environmental awareness project.  In the mornings volunteers will be facilitating classroom educational activities such as contributing to the improvement of the school through a greening campaign and further improve classroom facilities through cleaning, maintaining and refurbishment.

Volunteers go out on a boat to freedive twice a week (in the afternoons).  The exact days for these dives is determined by weather conditions and remains flexible each week.  Volunteers are provided with all necessary equipment for freediving.  Once Volunteers are comfortable underwater, they will start collecting images for their school project.   Volunteers also participate in gathering scientific data for the Sevengill Cowshark photographic database run by the Save Our Sea’s Foundation.  Volunteers may also have the opportunity of meeting like minded South African divers, freedivers, professional photographers and film makers. Interacting with these people greatly enhances our volunteer’s experience.

The aim of this project is to expose our volunteer to the wonderful marine life of South Africa through going out to see on a boat and freediving with marine animals. Our Volunteers gain an intimate knowledge of the unique marine biodiversity by spending time underwater exploring wonders such as the kelp forests, swimming with Sevengill Cowsharks and playing with Cape Fur Seals.

Volunteers will then be in a unique situation to take their first hand knowledge back into the classroom and show children what lies beneath the waves through poster presentations and photographic images taken whilst diving. Ultimately this project affords volunteers with an opportunity to take the knowledge gained from your time spent in the ocean to the school.

Our communities are typically under-funded and under-resourced, our volunteers, and our resources, are always very much appreciated. Our projects assist in social and economic development and address priority areas such as moral regeneration and social cohesion by our volunteers engaging with the local community and providing essential life skills through raising marine conservation issues and environmental awareness.

It is not a prerequisite for our project volunteers to have qualifications, specialist skills or work experience but a passion to promote marine conservation and a safe and clean environment  through knowledge transfer and influencing behavioural change.

Gap Year South Africa will ensure that you are equipped with all the required skills to partake in our marine conservation and education project as well as promote and deliver our environmental awareness project. You will discover existing skills as well as acquiring many new and valuable skills.

Community Setting

Gap Year South Africa Gap Year marine conservation and education projects are aimed primarily at previously disadvantaged groups, communities and individuals with a strong developmental approach.  Our environmental awareness projects are developed to empower young people who have not been afforded the opportunity to learn about the importance of a safe and clean environment.

Our community Gap Year marine conservation, education and environmental awareness projects contribute towards transformation whilst removing potential access barriers such as cost, elitism, race and gender.  The intended beneficiaries of our marine conservation, education and environmental awareness projects are young people who have inherently been afforded very little exceptional opportunity.

Your Role as a Volunteer

Your energetic presence will add immense value to the future wellbeing of under-resourced young people as well as contributing to the education of our future leaders on the importance of preserving and conserving our environment.  Gap Year South Africa will provide you with an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the key environmental issues surrounding us daily.

Project Flexibility

In addition to your Gap Year South Africa Gap Year marine conservation, education and environmental awareness project you will be required to select at least one of the following community projects:
◦Teaching and education
◦Performing Arts
◦HIV/AIDS awareness
◦Care work
◦Environmental awareness
◦Sports coaching

Volunteer Profile

Gap Year South Africa seeks individuals that are passionate and energetic with an enthusiasm for an adventure of a lifetime.  If you are a post-school or post-university gap year student, a university undergraduate or postgraduate, or a career breaker, our projects are ideally suited for you.  Volunteers must be 17 years of age and above.

Donation of Educational Resources

Gap Year South Africa, with the help of our Gap Year volunteers, also contributes towards educational resources, various teaching aides and the continuous renovation of classrooms enhancing the educational environment for the children.  Our under-resourced partner school certainly does welcome any additional contributions or resources.

Location

You will be based in the South African coastal city of Cape Town, also often referred to as the Mother City. Cape Town is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The impressive presence of the world renowned Table Mountain stands proudly above the city of Cape Town. Beautiful white sandy beaches along a peaceful coastline frame the Cape Peninsula, which is famed for its unique floral kingdom, bountiful rivers, vleis and dams and magnificent countryside. The surrounding area extends far into the winelands, green in summer and red-gold in autumn. Cape Town is a city of culture, built on a history that reflects in the architecture, cuisine, music and dance. Together with a warm summer and temperate winter climate and a friendly community, Cape Town is an ideal Gap Year destination throughout the year. Situated 10 hours from the majority of gap year world traveller destinations, Gap Year South Africa is an ideal stop on your global adventure travel. Please click here to visit our destination page to learn more about Cape Town, South Africa.

Accommodation, Food and Transport

You are hosted by the Team of Gap Year South Africa in our comfortable fully furnished house along with all our volunteers. The volunteer house is a very safe and friendly environment within Fish Hoek, a coastal village lying in a valley at the mouth of the Silvermine River, on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula.

Our volunteers stay in dormitory style accommodation with communal bathrooms. The house facilities include a DVD player and television, broadband internet access and a swimming pool. The house is located a short distance from the golden beaches of the magnificent Indian Ocean and conveniently situated within walking distance to a wide range of amenities for all your additional needs.

During the week, Mondays to Fridays, volunteers have all their meals prepared for them by our local team. Meals are not included on Saturdays and Sundays, as experience has taught us that most volunteers tend to explore Cape Town during weekends. Volunteers either purchase and prepare their own meals on weekends or often choose to eat out at local restaurants. Our kitchen is superbly equipped and local supermarkets and restaurants are within walking distance from the volunteer house.

Breakfast

Selection of cereals, toast, tea/coffee and fruit

Lunch

Packed Lunch consisting of sandwiches, juice and fruit

Dinner

Full sit-down hot meal and juice

On arrival at Cape Town International Airport you will be welcomed by our Gap Year South Africa Team and be transferred from the airport to the volunteer house. All daily transport to and from the projects is provided.

Excursions

The volunteer group excursions are selected from a wide variety of exciting activities based in Cape Town. Volunteer group excursions are selected in advance by the Gap Year South Africa team and are subject to change. The volunteer group excursions are selected from a host of exciting activities such as:
◦Explore Cape Point where the cold Benguela and warm Agulhus currents merge
◦Hike up Cape Town's magnificent Table Mountain and return via Cable Car
◦Spend a day exploring all the attractions at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
◦Visit the magnificent two oceans aquarium
◦View the exquisite penguins at Boulders
◦Explore the World of Birds wildlife sanctuary and monkey park
◦Enjoy learning to surf or surfing the waves of Cape Town

The table below indicates the number of group excursions selected from a wide variety of exciting activities that are included as part of your project fee:

Project Duration

Number of group excursions included in your project fee

3 Weeks

One group excursion included as part of your project fee

5 Weeks

Two group excursions included as part of your project fee

3 Months

Four group excursions included as part of your project fee

5 Months

Six group excursions included as part of your project fee

Volunteers will have free time on weekends to explore all Cape Town has to offer. Our team will inform you of all the amazing attractions available to you in and around Cape Town. If volunteers choose to experience any additional excursions above those stipulated as group excursions, these excursions will be at the volunteers own cost. Types of additional excursions available to volunteers include:
◦Snorkel or freedive with Cape fur seals in the exquisite oceans of Cape Town
◦Journey on a Township Tour into a vibrant world of colour
◦Shark Cage Diving with Great White Sharks
◦Scuba dive at the Two Oceans Aquarium
◦Abseiling down Table Mountain
◦Specialised guided wine region tours
◦Robben Island Museum Tour
◦Penguin Sea Kayak Trail Simon's Town
◦Visit the Cheetah Sanctuary at Spier
◦Tandem skydive
◦Visit the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
◦View the African Big Five on a one day safari tour