By Naomi Talbot-Ponsonby
My internship with NVT over the past two months has been more than just an educational experience, but a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with people that are really passionate about conservation of the environment. My project here has focused on spatial distribution of the Cape leopard (Panthera pardus) in Nature’s Valley and the surrounding area. We were trying to identify any movement pathways used by the species in relation to local habitats and the movement behaviours of other prominent macropredators, such as the Caracal. We used both camera traps and sightings from local residents, to incorporate both technology and the local community. This has been a really interesting project, not just from a predatory ecology perspective, but also from a wider biodiversity angle. This project made me discover how much biodiversity there was in Nature’s Valley, as well as catching leopard and caracal on our cameras, we also caught lots of other species, including: Bush buck, Bush pig, Genets, Yellow mongoose and Wood owls.
Outside of my project work, I participated in numerous intern activities including Cape clawless otter tracking, Mini SASS assessments in the Groot River, land and sea-based marine megafauna surveys, forest chameleon surveys and numerous community engagement programmes including environmental education, elderly united and One Ocean, One Connection . These experiences really taught me the importance of the local community in conservation, the engagement of the people in the long run is what will ensure conservation strategies are successful. A couple highlights from my time at NVT would be the boat whale survey where we saw a Southern right whale mother and calf and Ziplining through indigenous forests!
Outside of intern activities, the other interns and I spent lots of time exploring the local area, hiking to Pigs head, the point, salt river and many more places, as well as kayaking up the Groot River and visiting local animal sanctuaries, such as Monkeyland and Birds of Eden. Each of these experiences further deepened understanding and appreciation for the area.
Ultimately, my time at NVT has given me invaluable experience in environmental research and conservation, I have learnt so much in my time here and I can’t wait to see how I can utilize the skills I learnt here in the future!
