wildlife & adventure: KwaZulu-Natal, SOUTH AFRICA
Nothing…. Nothing…. Nothing…
Is better than watching your child be completely happy, content, self- confident and filled with joy. This is my son’s happy place – and it makes my heart burst with joy If anyone has teens or young adults in their lives who are at all interested in conservation and connecting with nature please go check out Youth 4 Conservation.
My son has just returned from a 10 day experience in a game reserve in northern Natal. It was trip where they – learn about nature – actively participate in conservation activities – interact with the local community who own the land – do physical work in the reserve (they fixed roads) and – of course- connect with themselves, their soul, in that way that only comes from personal experiences in the world, especially travel and nature.
I am a huge believer in travel being our greatest teacher. I feel the same about nature. This adventure provided both. Thank you Maria and the team at Youth 4 Conservation. I know you’ll be seeing a lot more of Daniel in the years to come.
Gillian (Parent)
We have just listened to all of our daughter’s stories – and wow it sounds like a trip of a lifetime!! Thank you Y4C and team as our daughter has come back with the biggest smile I have ever seen! After her recent trips were cancelled, I thought this year was lost but I’m so glad we connected to this trip!! She will never forget this life changing experience!!
Michelle (Parent)
What this Camp meant to me … for starters it changed the way I see nature entirely – and the way I feel about plants and animals. It helped me realise that this is what I want to do and I want to go into conservation. Words cannot describe how amazing it was because they haven’t made words to describe a beautiful place like this. The people are the most epic people you can meet and the community is such a loving place and a big help to that area. Thank you so much for this amazing experience and I hope to do it every single time tis trip happens!
Daniel (16 years)
My Y4C adventure has been a life changing experience. I loved being immersed in nature and disconnected from the internet for 10 days. I learnt so much about conservation and the bush and felt the meaning behind all of our conservation activities. Thank you for the incredible adventure!
Rachael (17 years)
My Youth 4 Conservation experience was extraordinary, breathtaking, incredible! I had so much fun while learning deeply about the environment I was immersed in – the sunsets, game sightings, proactive conservation activities and laughs will forever hold a special place in my heart. I could not recommend the experience enough!
Megan (18 years)
My daughter had a lovely, lovely time away at the camp. She has ranked it up there with the best experiences she’s had so far, and given the chance, she would return for another stint.
I believe that combining the camp experience with peers, as well as the wildlife was a success recipe for sure. Well done for planning just the right amount of time away for first-timers, a great camp with friendly and professional staff, and enough hard work and trekking to make it an adventure!
I will not hesitate to recommend the camp or working with Youth 4 Conservation to anyone keen on a similar experience.
Ruth (Parent)
My son had a great experience and enjoyed himself! I asked him if he’ll do it again, and he said definitely. Thank you so much for organising this adventure for our kids — they’ve learnt a lot as well as promoting the school slogan “We shall give back.
Fundi (Parent)
Wow, what an experience! My daughter thoroughly enjoyed this camp, she learned and grew so much in just ten days.
The whole thing was so well organised that she felt safe and confident to head off on her first away-from-home experience. We will happily recommend it to other like-minded young people looking for a life-changing experience and will actively promote the great work you’re doing whenever we can.
Your thorough planning and excellent communication made it a completely seamless arrangement. Keep doing this great work you do so well!
Hayley (Parent)
This Y4C trip in KZN was a very cool opportunity where my eyes were opened to the importance, as well as the fulfilment, that conservation brings. The people, the food, and the activities all contributed to an overall incredible experience!
(Abby, 17)
Thanks for making this experience happen. A real highlight for my daughter this year — especially in such an otherwise complicated year.
So a big thanks for the amazing time that she had and also to you for the care, time and attention to detail so that everything ran smoothly and keeping us in the loop and engaging so thoughtfully with us.
Charles (Parent)
A big thank you from us for giving our daughter this amazing opportunity. Some of the photos she has shared with us are incredible! This camp has invoked an excitement in her that we haven’t quite seen before. She has had a complete change of heart with her career choice and we are fully supportive of this idea. Whew, who would have thought that this camp would have such a significant impact on our daughter and that she would find her happy place!
Seanette (Parent)
This adventure with Y4C was a fantastic experience that I will remember for years to come. It is a great opportunity to learn about the bush and play an active part in its conservation. I strongly encourage anyone thinking of volunteering to take this opportunity because you will thank yourself for it later!
Jack (18 years)
I just want to say thank you so much for organising this trip. It was absolutely incredible! Everything was so well organised and perfectly executed. This trip has easily been my favourite trip of high school and it is all because of you. Thank you so much!
Sanjika (17 years)
I would like to thank you for the amazing experience you made possible in KwaZulu- Natal. It was such a wonderful opportunity to engage with other communities and nature while helping to make a real difference!
Noa (17 years)
The trip that Youth 4 Conservation organised to KwaZulu-Natal was an experience that I will hold very close to my heart. It made me realise that I can’t have a career that doesn’t involve nature conservation – and this made me change my whole career path! The Camp was truly a once in a lifetime experience and would recommend it to anyone that is thinking of a career in conservation.
Rebecca (18 years)
Thanks so much for a life-changing experience!!
Siobhan (Parent)
This Youth 4 Conservation camp is a phenomenal experience. Not only do you get to take part in worthwhile conservation work but you also learn so much. The camp has a great balance of hard work and fun activities and it was so great to see the students being stretched both physically and mentally. What is so special about this camp is that you will always have a new experience, as there are different projects and work that needs to be done. This camp was so well organised and as a teacher there was very little I needed to do in the build up to the camp. The staff are amazing and so friendly and always had the students best interests at heart. I would highly recommend this camp to anyone that is interested in being outdoors, making a difference and learning about the environment. Thanks so much again for this amazing opportunity.
Gabi (Teacher)
My daughter loved the experience! She has come back with amazing stories and experiences.
Greg (Parent)
Thank you so much for organising this trip. My child came back exhilarated and overjoyed, he loved every minute of it…This is the most fantastic program, such a wonderful thing to be doing. I have to say that after all my son has been through, I was delighted to see the look on his face coming off the plane.
Amanda (Parent)
A fantastic and enriching experience for us as teachers and for our students. The benefits will be felt for a long time to come.
Toni (Teacher)