Natucate
Field and Guide Courses: Notes and requirements for our educational courses
This blog post provides an overview of the requirements you need to meet to participate in our nature courses.
For all those who love adventures and would like to broaden their knowledge in a unique way – our nature courses are suitable for anybody thinking about taking a temporary career break. Use your wilderness course to recharge your batteries at the heart of an untouched natural environment. What you learn on our field and guide courses will be an excellent addition to your CV.
Confirmation that you have taken part in the course will be provided after you finish. You can also do a test at the end of certain courses to acquire a recognized certificate (FGASA – Field Guide Association of Southern Africa), which will help you to become a professional nature guide.
Why preparation is so important
No matter what motivates you to pursue further education in nature – whether it's personal development, professional interest or the search for an authentic experience in the wilderness – realistic expectations and good preparation will help you get the most out of your time abroad.
Requirements for participation
When joining our field and guide courses you must fulfil the following requirements:
- Minimum age: 18
- good knowledge of English
- valid passport
- travel health insurance for the duration of the course
- physical fitness, meaning that you must be able to hike for several hours in all terrain while carrying research or other necessary equipment
→ hand in a doctor’s certificate which confirms that you are healthy and fit enough to join the programme - depending on your destination and length of your stay: visa
- depending on your destination: specific vaccinations
- be interested in nature and are motivated to be part of an educational programme
- be open-minded and flexible
- have a determined work ethic, be able to work in a team and on individual tasks
- be open to work with people of different cultures, ethnicities, nationalities and religious beliefs
Moreover, you must have completed a first aid course to take part in the Field Guide Level 1 in Southern Africa (Apprentice Field Guide), Field Guide Level 1 in Kenya (Apprentice Field Guide), Apprentice Trails Guide in Southern Africa, Basic Field Guide in Botswana and Apprentice Trails Guide in Botswana.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions on the requirements.
Equipment: What you really need
In general, you should bring along the following equipment:
- strong, sturdy shoes (hiking boots)
- light (long) trousers for the day
- something to cover your head
- warmer clothing for cold mornings and evenings and colder seasons in general
- insect repellant
- sunscreen
- refillable water bottle
- daypack
- camera, smartphone and/or laptop
- depending on the course: sleeping bag, sleeping mat and/or tent
- writing material
Make sure that your clothing and shoes match the colours of your environment (e.g. khaki, beige or grey).
Depending on the course you chose, the equipment you should bring along with you can vary. In your personal Natucate travel documents you can find precise information on what to pack for your journey.
Accommodation & everyday camp life: what to expect
Many camps and training locations are deliberately situated in the heart of nature. This often means:
- simple accommodation
- basic sanitary facilities
- occasional power or water outages
- little comfort, but intense experiences of nature
This simplicity is a crucial part of outdoor learning – and for many participants, one of the highlights of their stay.
Wild animals: Realistic expectations
We realise that some of the people in our field and guide courses want to see as many animals as possible in their natural environment. However, this depends on several factors. Please note that Natucate makes no guarantee that you will see a variety of animals, in particular the Big Five, as nature doesn’t always give us what we want. To make such a guarantee would be unprofessional and against our corporate philosophy.
Furthermore, if you’re interested in joining one of our field and guide courses, please note that none of them involve any direct interaction with wild animals. We are strongly against breeding young lions for canned hunting and have therefore signed the strict code of conduct of the organisation CACH (Campaign Against Canned Hunting). We can provide additional information if required. To learn more about this subject, take a look at the following blog post:
Our trips: Animal sightings and wildlife interaction
In case of questions you can reach out to us anytime.
