Blog
Reflections from a UK intern
It’s summer here in the UK. But you wouldn’t know it. As I sit here, blanket over my lap, hot mug of tea in my hand, the rain lashing against the window, my mind wanders back to a time when...
A Birder’s take on Nature’s Valley
As a birder and photographer, there are few places quite as perfect as Nature’s Valley. Not only is the scenery stunning, the birdlife is diverse and unique. While it is currently winter- a low...
9000 Miles From Home
21 hours of flying is fairly exhausting. My journey began in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the afternoon of the 19th of June. Two days, a few hemispheres, four continents, and five countries later, I...
My NVT Experience
The past three and a half weeks spent in Nature’s Valley with NVT have been an experience I will never forget. Sitting at home and writing this has just made me want to go back, and one day I...
NVT Fresh Legs
An opportunity to work for Natures Valley Trust was one that I had to grab with both hands. Hailing from a famous little town in the little Karoo, Oudtshoorn, the new area and team provided...
Nature's Valley Vibes
My name is Madeleine Pienaar and I’m currently studying Conservation Ecology at Stellenbosch University. My friend, Megan, and I decided to intern with the Nature’s Valley Trust during our...
Managing the Groot River Estuary
As most of you know, the Groot River Estuary in Nature's Valley is what is called a natural open/closed system. Essentially this means the mouth of the estuary opens and closes naturally as part...
Working in conservation is to work for a better world
Working for the Nature’s Valley Trust (NVT) has helped me to grow in both a personal and professional way. I am a student of Journalism and International relations from Madrid, Spain, and for...
An interns farewell
My six-month South African adventure has come to an end. I travelled to Plettenberg Bay to learn how to survey and monitor shorebirds but I never expected to also experience such a variety of...
World Oceans Day!
The theme for World Oceans Day today is "healthy oceans, healthy planet", and it encapsulates the ethos we have about our work at the Nature’s Valley Trust. So much of what we do involves...
Highs and lows of the shorebird field season
The NVT Shorebird Research Team recently finished a great 6 months field season working on White-fronted Plovers. With a total of 83 nests, over 1500 kilometers hiked, plus 500 hours of...
Boats, Birds and Bellyaches
At 5 we woke, down on the beach for 6, ready for action. The boat we were to spend our day on, researching wildlife abundance and ocean conditions, was ready waiting for us on the sand. Framed...
Fish netting like a novice
There I was, up to my elbows in a bucket of live fish, desperately trying to catch one and measure it in the name of conservation. This was one of many life-time firsts for me as I helped the NVT...
A Cape Cod Goodbye
Sitting at home on the cold and wintery peninsula of Cape Cod Massachusetts, I wish I could be back on the warm sunny beach of Nature’s Valley, taking a swim in the lagoon. My time with...
Work hard, Play hard. The NVT way!
I came to NVT for an internship for my undergrad studies. Finally, I was going to do real fieldwork, something that I had always thought to be what I wanted to do with my life. Doing the actual...