Conservation - SOUTHERN AFRICA
Project Information for Conservation Programme

Project Information | Bird Species | Mammal Species

Our Conservation Project in South Africa and Botswana

The Legodimo Nature Reserve is aptly named as the local Tswana translation means "paradise". Here you will become part of a team dedicated to conserving 15,000 hectares of African savannah home to a wild variety of flora and fauna. Whether elephants are blocking your path or leopard's coughing interrupts your meal there is always something to see or hear in the bush. Legodimo is a perfect place to soak up the African experience and get involved in a wide range of conservation activities that are designed to protect and sustain this fragile ecosystem. The African savannah has successfully existed for millions of years and it is our responsibility to ensure its longevity.

Activities currently operating in Legodimo Nature Reserve

During their stay, volunteers will get involved in a wide variety of conservation activities:

Road System Maintenance; this enables us to travel around the reserve and cover more areas, enabling us to better survey the different types of vegetation, animal populations and helps us to collect more accurate data. The construction of new roads also enables better visibility of wildlife.
Removing fences; there is lots of old fencing around the reserve which has been lowered in recent years but not removed, this can cause injury to any animal that comes across it .Poachers also make use of old fencing wire to build snares and traps. Any fencing left standing can enclose elephants and other large grazers which in turn increases pressure on the area.
GPS Mapping of the Reserve: By compiling a comprehensive map of the reserve it will enable more specific data to be collected on animal populations and their ranges. A complete map of the road system will also allow a more complete survey of the reserve.
Tree Wrapping: This is done in order to protect many of the tree species in the reserve that are destroyed by the elephants. We make use of disused fencing wire that we have collected to wrap the trunk of the tree, this then prevents elephants from removing the bark and the long-term death of the tree.
Water Hole Construction: The harsh changes between the seasons in Southern Africa mean that for 9 months of the year animals are struggling to find sufficient water. Dropping water levels in the rivers and high concentrations of predators around these areas means that the majority of the prey species cannot find enough water to survive. The drilling of water holes at different locations around the reserve enables these species to endure the dry season and also helps us in collecting data as the wildlife will tend to concentrate around these artificial reservoirs. Careful management of these water holes will also allow us to manage the reserve more effectively as by changing the locations and availability of water we can move wildlife from heavily impacted zones and allow the vegetation to recover.
Erosion Control: Top soil holds the majority of the nutrients to be found in the earth and heavy rains cause these to be leeched away. By creating run-off channels, planting stakes in open areas and careful placement of large rocks we can reduce the loss of top soil in the torrential rainy season and give the flora of the reserve a high chance of survival.
Alien Plant Removal: Historical activity and local industry has led to the invasion of foreign plant species which are out-competing the local flora. This change in species composition is unnaturally fast and ecosystems cannot adjust quickly enough to incorporate these new additions. This creates unbalance for both the animal and plant life and so it is essential that we remove as many of these invaders as possible.
Plant Rehabilitation- Maintaining Bio-diversity: The successful cultivation of plants in nurseries allows us to restore the unbalance alien plants and excessive elephant activity have caused in the ecosystem. This project involves three phases: seed collection, plant germination and re-introduction into impacted areas.
Maintenance Activities: Any project operating in remote conditions requires constant maintenance and part of your responsibilities as a volunteer will include helping with the upkeep of the camp.
Weekly Workshops: Volunteers will participate in weekly workshops designed to teach you about different aspects of the project and the environment you will come to call home. Topics are diverse and include herpetology, botany, astronomy, park management and many more....

Wildlife Inventories:

Compilation of Species Lists- Birds: By fixed point observations and research drives we are creating a comprehensive list of the Birds Of Legodimo. With a strong data base we can then investigate their behaviour (e.g. migration routes and seasons), density and ranges. This data is also shared with Bird Life International where they use our data in their BIRP (birds in reserves project).

Mammals: Regular research drives enable us to collect information on the larger mammal species in Legodimo. Predator-prey relationships are the basis of the savannah ecosystem and we need to know how the reserve is evolving with respect to these vital interactions. By recording GPS locations of our sightings, photographing individual animals and continually monitoring the different areas of the reserve we are able to construct a realistic model for animal movements and migrations of new groups and new species into the reserve.

Elephant blind observations: By collecting data on elephant breeding herds we can record the following data: the size of the herd, the number of existing herds, their migratory patterns and what the extent of the damage one herd can cause in a given area. The reserve is also part of the proposed "Trans-frontier National Park" project which will mean that many existing fences will be removed between Botswana, South-Africa and Zimbabwe. This will open up ancestral migratory routes of not only elephants, but many other species also. In order for this to happen, efficient research is needed on elephants in the respective areas and so we must gather information on the herds located in Legodimo.