Eight students from SERC recently landed back home from their trip to the Sibuya Game Reserve, South Africa.
Eight (8) Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Animal Management and Level 3 Advanced Tech in Applied Science students from South Eastern Regional College (SERC) have recently landed back home from their trip to the Sibuya Game Reserve, South Africa, fully funded by the Turing Scheme.
The Turing Scheme provides funding for students to undertake a study or work placement across the world, contributing to the UK Government’s commitment to a Global Britain, by helping organisations such as SERC to enhance existing international links and forge new relationships. The delivery partner for the Turing Scheme is the Department for Education (UK).
While in South Africa, the students worked at the Sibuya Game Reserve in Kenton-On-Sea. The students helped the park rangers with rhino, lion and elephant monitoring, faecal sampling for stressor hormones as part of a contraceptive study, bush cleaning, removing invasive non-native plant species from the reserve, darting giraffes and buffalo to keep them protected from disease and they took part in a hike for medicinal plants. The students also participated in a beach clean with intern students from Sibuya and local school children, working alongside volunteers from Italy and Germany. In the evenings., they went on night drives monitoring the nocturnal population of the reserve, met with the anti-poaching unit and learned to cook traditional South African food. The students were accompanied by SERC Animal Care / Management Lecturer Emily Morgan and SERC Associate Lecturer in Animal Care / Management Laura Finnegan.
On their days off, students enjoyed trips to the local town for souvenir shopping, much needed snacks and to experience the local culture. They went on a day trip to Addo National Elephants Park where they had a picnic and bonded at the many board game and movie nights.
Level 3 Advanced Tech in Applied Science student Eve Watson (18, Lisburn) comments, “My time in South Africa with SERC was one of the most unforgettable and surreal experiences of my life. Being surrounded by such breathtaking landscapes and seeing lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants, and African buffalo up close was nothing short of magical. Each day brought new opportunities to learn about wildlife conservation, from tracking animals to understanding the delicate balance of ecosystems. It was both inspiring and eye-opening, and I feel incredibly grateful to have been part of something so meaningful. I will cherish these memories for a lifetime.”
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