Samara Private Game Reserve Volunteer Program

General Info

Samara Private Game Reserve is a hub of conservation and animal re-introduction efforts in the Great Karoo basin. Come get your hands dirty in a unique South African bush experience!

The volunteer programme offers you the opportunity to experience the incredible and unique landscape of the Great Karoo and contribute to the conservation of this land and the many plants and animals it supports. Samara’s vision is to re-introduce the large diversity of animals that roamed these plains prior to European settlement 200 years ago. By volunteering at Samara you are making a valuable contribution to this ambitious and worthy cause.

The programme has been designed with a strong focus on learning and hands-on involvement in the field. We hope you will learn to respect and admire the wonders of the African bush while you are here. All fieldwork and projects are therefore preceded by a background talk so that you have a better understanding of the significance and importance of the work you are doing. There are various ongoing land rehabilitation and wildlife research projects taking place at Samara, in collaboration with conservation organizations and universities.

As part of the Samara research team volunteers will have the opportunity to make valuable contributions to these projects. We teach volunteers to be competent in all required field techniques, meaning the data collected can be used by management and affiliated organizations.

Samara is also home to the SACT tracking academy, run by one of only two Master trackers in South Africa, from which you will learn a wealth of bush knowledge, as well as the skills of tracking animals and interpreting their behavior. You will leave Samara with a deeper understanding of the bush, as well as useful skills and techniques used in current scientific research, conservation and wildlife management.

We also hope you will leave energized by the experience of living so closely with nature.