The Field Guide level 1 (55) Day course is a course which will get you to the first level of being a guide. It

covers a broad spectrum of subjects and we show you how to drive a 4x4 vehicle, teach you how to identify

birds, plants, trees and tracks. We teach you basic bush survival skills and how to navigate and orientate

yourself in the bush. We show you what it is like to approach dangerous game on foot and how you should

handle these situations. We teach you how to use binoculars properly and how to position a vehicle for

photography and so much more. This course is FGASA accredited.

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The aim of this course is to develop and practice skills and knowledge learnt on the Level 1 course. It is

conducted in a different, wilder area and therefore provides a more authentic Field Guide experience. The

majority of the time on this Trails Guide course is spent exploring the wilderness on foot. This course gives

grounding to conduct bush walks in big game country and has an emphasis on safety. This course is FGASA

accredited.

EcoTraining now also offers a 1 year course for learners serious about pursuing a career in field guiding and

learning as much as possible in the 1 year.

1. FGASA Field Guide 1 theory and Practical Assessment

2. Rifle training; driving experience; frogging, lion on telemetry, elephant tracking

3. FGASA Field Guide Level 2 Theory

4. FGASA Trails Guide, Advanced Rifle Handling, View Potentially Dangerous Animals, Trails Guide

Theory

5. Tracking course

6. Birding basics and Advanced Birding

7. Wilderness Medicine: Level 1 and Level 2

8. Encounters on foot

9. Navigation and Orientation

In this One Year course, six months of theoretical and practical training with our highly qualified instructors

in which you will complete various separate certificate courses should get you well prepared for 4 -5 months

of actual nature guiding at lodges with guests.

complete without experiencing the Tsavo Elephants and Lions.

The formal Field Guide Training programme will take place at all 4 bush camps which collectively open the

door to hectares of stunning wilderness landscapes teeming with game, including (depending on which

camp you are at) buffalo, elephant, rhino, lion and leopard as well as antelope and a huge diversity of birds.

EcoTraining’s accommodation facilities and game reserves are authentic, with as little clutter to dilute the

relationship between nature and our learners as possible.

Our Selati Camp is situated on the banks of the Selati River in the 33 000 hectare (81

545 acre) Selati Game Reserve to the west of the Kruger National Park. Camp

accommodation is simple and rustic in dome tents with shared bathroom facilities and

there is a communal area where participants gather for meals and lectures every day.

Selati is a good place for viewing lion, white rhino and elephant. General game is

plentiful and you might even get to see the large herd of eland, as well as the rare sable antelope.

As is the case with our other two camps, the Selati camp is unfenced, and animals do on occasion wander

through the camp. Learners have woken up in the morning to find the tracks of elephant, leopard or lion

around the camp.

Our Karongwe Camp is situated on the banks of the Karongwe River in the 9 000 hectare

(22 239 acre) Karongwe Game Reserve, to the south-west of the Kruger National Park.

Accommodation is in walk-in safari style tents with shared bathroom facilities. Karongwe

is a good place for viewing leopard, lion and cheetah as well as elephant and white rhino.

As the camp itself is unfenced, we often have four-legged guests in the camp. Hyena

make nightly patrols of the camp and are often seen by learners who choose to make one of the viewing decks

their home for the duration of the course. Elephant, cheetah and lion have also made appearances on

occasion.

Our Kruger Park Camp is situated in the 24 000 hectare (59305 acres) Makuleke

concession in the far northern and most remote part of the Kruger National Park.

Accommodation is in safari tents on wooden decks covered with thatch in the shade of

nyala trees. Each unit has a veranda overlooking the bush and an en-suite bathroom

with a flush toilet, shower and basin.

Most of the animals that are found in the Kruger Park can be viewed in the concession. Large herds of buffalo

and elephant are not uncommon and the birding in this incredible part of the Kruger Park is unsurpassed. This

camp is also unfenced in order to allow animals free movement in their natural environment.

EcoTraining Mashatu camp is located in the Tuli Reserve of Botswana bordering South Africa. Tuli forms a key part of the proposed Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area. In the easternmost corner of Botswana, Tuli is

Early morning wake-up Tea, coffee, biscuits and fresh fruit

Brunch after activity Cooked breakfast, cereals and fruit

Afternoon tea Light snacks

Dinner A balanced, warm plated meal (Meat, vegetables and salad

The following information can be obtained by e-mail : fieldguidetraining@lodge-placements.co.za

1. Camp information

2. The game reserve

3. What to bring

4. Additional expenses

5. Communicating from the camp

6. Directions / maps

7. Typical daily itinerary

8. Recommended books