Reasons to Choose a Wildlife Conservation Holiday

Wildlife conservation holidays are the perfect way to combine a good old fashioned adventure with a chance to do something worthwhile. It seems that more and more young (and young at heart) people are signing on to head out to exotic lands to lend a hand to some meaningful and exciting projects.

If you’re a little undecided about whether a wildlife conservation holiday is for you, or perhaps you’re just looking for an excuse to cancel that indulgent spa holiday to the Maldives, here are a few reasons that could help you make up your mind!

Leopard is the new black

As the information regarding the issues facing endangered species of animals becomes more mainstream, high profile celebrities and personalities are making wildlife conservation fashionable. Fur is out and fake is in; and if you aren’t a card-carrying member of PETA, darling you’re just so yesterday! Heading off to Africa on a wildlife conservation holiday will make for wonderful cocktail conversation, and just think of the handmade accessories you can pick up on your trip!

An elephant stole my homework

So you’ve just finished Uni, got your degree and are now planning your career as the next big thing. But aren’t you just a little burnt out and study shocked? Why not take a gap year to catch your breath before the next stage of your life? Taking a wildlife conservation holiday will not only give you a great excuse not to go into battle in the job-market, but you will also learn some valuable skills along the way. Who knows, you may decide on a whole new career path!

Felines are more fun than Facebook

Well come on now, lets face it. Feeding an obsession with Facebook and Twitter for sixteen hours a day dissecting your social life, is way less interesting than spending a few weeks in an African game park dissecting the social life of a lion. Enough said.

Baby, it’s cold out there

Paint yourself a picture. Winter in the city, waking to the screech of an over cheery breakfast DJ, then fighting for elbow-room at the rain lashed bus stop waiting for the bus that didn’t come. Or waking to a glorious African sunrise with the enchanting sound of the bush echoing in your ears, then heading out in an open-topped vehicle to spend the day working on a wildlife conservation project. Your decision.

Monkey say monkey do.

If you’ve had a hard year or two and you can barely tell the difference between Thursday and Sunday; if your best friend ran off with the love of your life; if you look in the mirror and you don’t recognise the worn-out frazzled face that’s staring back; or if you just can’t tame that ‘monkey-mind’ and need to spend a few weeks reflecting on life, the universe and everything – a wildlife conservation holiday could help put everything back in perspective for you. Spending some quality time with the wonderful Wildlife Of Africa and contributing to a worthwhile project, could help you redefine your priorities and bring you back to Planet Earth with a smile. Welcome home.

About the Author

Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks focusing on
wildlife conservation holidays
work and various adventurous gap years for adults.

GIS Careers by ESRI: Conservationist – A Day in the Life

Evolution and Innovation in Wildlife Conservation $97.5 The crucible of innovation in wildlife and habitat conservation is in southern Africa where it has co-evolved with decolonization political transformation and the rise of development ownership management and livelihood debates. Charting this innovation early chapters deal with the traditional 'fines and fences' conservation that occurred in the colonial and early post-independence period with subsequent sections focussing on the experimentation and innovation that occurred on private and communal land as a result of the break from these traditional methods. The final section deals with more recent innovations in the sector focussing on building and strengthening the relationships between parks and society. Importantly the book provides a data-rich summary of experimentation with more inclusive models of conservation in terms of ecological social political and economic indicators. Published with the Southern African Sustainable Use Specialist Group (SASUSG) of IUCN

Conservation in Africa: Peoples, Policies and Practice $83.48 A new, interdisciplinary look at the practices and policies of conservation in Africa is presented in this volume. For the first time social scientists, anthropologists, and historians have been brought together with biologists, in order to illuminate previously neglected yet critically important social aspects of conservation thinking. The book is introduced by an overview of African conservation in the past, present, and future. There are sixteen papers on a wide range of topics from wildlife management to soil conservation, and from the Cape in the nineteenth century to Ethiopia in the 1980s. These collectively show that conservation must form an integral part of future policies for human development. To date, conservation has been largely the domain of the biologist, but the current ecological crisis in Africa and the failure of orthodox conservation policies demand a radical new appraisal of conventional practices. This, therefore, is essential reading for all those concerned about people and conservation in Africa.

Spatial Complexity, Informatics, and Wildlife Conservation $97.5 Spatial Complexity, Informatics, and Wildlife Conservation

Politicians and Poachers: The Political Economy of Wildlife Policy in Africa $53.98 This book explores the politics of wildlife conservation policy in Africa, specifically Zambia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The book addresses a general question: Why don’t wildlife policies seem to be working? Rather than use standard explanations such as "bureaucratic inefficiency" or "corrupt dictators," the book demonstrates how politicians at all levels use wildlife policy for their own political ends, which may or may not include conservation. The book uses electoral and archival data, as well as interviews with individuals ranging from presidents to poachers to address this issue.

Politicians and Poachers $37 The politics of wildlife conservation policy in Africa.

Myth and Reality in the Rain Forest: How Conservation Strategies Are Failing in West Africa $5.48 John Oates tackles one of the most serious challenges facing the world’s conservation leaders today: How can the needs of wildlands and wildlife be reconciled with the needs of people? Current conservation theory holds that wildlife can best be protected through the promotion of human economic development. Oates disagrees. Drawing on his extensive experience as a primate ecologist who has worked on rainforest conservation projects in Africa and India, he argues that the linking of conservation to economic development has had disastrous consequences for many wildlife populations, especially in West Africa. He maintains that in those parts of the world where people are very poor, human well-being is more likely to be promoted by large-scale political, social, and economic reforms than by community development schemes associated with conservation projects.

Wildlife Conservation in China $84 What does the future hold for China's endangered wildlife? Drawing on 20 year's experience working in China, the leading U.S. expert on the subject incorporates perspectives ranging from biology to Chinese history and tradition to interpret wildlife conservation issues in a cultural context.

Conservation of Wildlife Populations $39.95 Professor L. Scott Mills has been named a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow by the board of trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Conservation of Wildlife Populations provides an accessible introduction to the most relevant concepts and principles for solving real-world management problems in wildlife and conservation biology. Bringing together insights from traditionally disparate disciplines, the book shows how population biology addresses important questions involving the harvest, monitoring, and conservation of wildlife populations. Covers the most up-to-date approaches for assessing factors that affect both population growth and interactions with other species, including predation, genetic changes, harvest, introduced species, viability analysis and habitat loss and fragmentation. Is an essential guide for undergraduates and postgraduate students of wildlife biology, conservation biology, ecology, and environmental studies and an invaluable resource for practising managers on how population biology can be applied to wildlife conservation and management. Artwork from the book is available to instructors online at www.blackwellpublishing.com/mills . An Instructor manual CD-ROM for this title is available. Please contact our Higher Education team at HigherEducation@wiley.com for more information.

Wild Edens: Africa’s Premier Game Parks and Their Wildlife $3.48 In Wild Edens: Africa’s Premier Game Parks and Their Wildlife, longtime conservationist and seasoned African traveler Joseph James Shomon journeys through the wild African scene, revealing its magnificence and mystique, and wonderfully describes the game parks’ location, ecology, and irreplaceable wildlife. From the summit of Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, the author surveys the marvelous Edens of East Africa, among the last Pleistocene-like concentrations of animals left in the world today. Descending, Shomon gives a firsthand account of the great sanctuaries, providing a knowledgeable escort on safari in the scrublands of Tsavo, where elephants are imperiled. He continues on to the Ark at Aberdares, where visitors can watch, under floodlights of a watchtower, rain forest animals come to feed; to the rain forests of Mount Kenya; and to the Serengeti and Mara Plains, with their great migrating herds besieged by predators and thwarted in their journeys by swollen rivers and flooded lakes. The journey continues through the Great Rift Valley and Olduvai Gorge to Lake Manyara with its tree-climbing lions: Ngorongoro Crater: Samburu and Meru, where the rhino is threatened: the waterways of Uganda: the Mountains of the Moon: the Kalahari Desert; and the wildlife sanctuaries of South Africa, ending the tour at the Cape of Good Hope. Shomon argues that the growth of impersonal technology and excessive mechanization, as well as the world’s focus on violence, social ills, and discord on our domestic front, consume the world’s energies, leaving little interest for safeguarding and conserving Africa’s wild edens. Shomon’s engaging and informative text, complemented with attractivephotographs and pen-and-ink drawings, encourages those interested in Africa and its wildlife to visit the cradle of our ancestral beginnings, if only from their armchairs, and to take an active role in its preservation and conservation.

Wildlife Ecology, Conservation and Management $39.95 The second edition of Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, and Management provides a thorough introduction to general ecological principles and examines how they can be applied to wildlife management and conservation. Expanded and updated, this second edition includes new chapters on understanding ecosystems and the use of computer models in wildlife management Gives a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of ecology including the latest theories on population dynamics and conservation Reviews practical applications and techniques and how these can be used to formulate realistic objectives with in an ecological framework Examples of real-life management situations from around the world provide a broad perspective on the international problems of conservation Worked examples on CD enable students to practice calculations explained in the text Artwork from the book is available to instructors online at www.blackwellpublishing.com/sinclair . An Instructor manual CD-ROM for this title is available. Please contact our Higher Education team at HigherEducation@wiley.com for more information. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Introduction to Wildlife Conservation in Farming $85 This book provides an invaluable, comprehensive and practical introduction to conservation issues associated with current farming practice. Representing both industry and conservation as an integrated and holistic system, it explores conservation issues within every farming discipline; from arable and horticulture to grasslands, woodlands, aquatic and coastal farming and will include an assessment of the impact of global warming. The book includes relevant case studies and international, real-world examples, focusing on applied management and not just ecological facts, theories and principles. The carefully structured book begins by introducing the overall subject including some statistics on current farming activities, giving a brief outlook for the future of farming systems in relation to conservation. Each subsequent chapter will have its own introduction setting the commercial context and conservation value of an example farm, and will progress with a series of case studies that will include the following elements: site assessment; species list; soils management options; and a habitat management plan. A summary section will draw together the common themes of the chapter and develop a lead-in to subsequent chapters. It will provide students with an informed appreciation of current practice whilst raising questions about the development of conservation in farming in the future.

Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, and Management [With CDROM] $106.48 The second edition of "Wildlife Ecology, Conservation, and Management" provides a thorough introduction to general ecological principles and examines how they can be applied to wildlife management and conservation. Expanded and updated, this second edition includes new chapters on understanding ecosystems and the use of computer models in wildlife management Gives a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of ecology including the latest theories on population dynamics and conservation Reviews practical applications and techniques and how these can be used to formulate realistic objectives with in an ecological framework Examples of real-life management situations from around the world provide a broad perspective on the international problems of conservation Worked examples on CD enable students to practice calculations explained in the text Artwork from the book is available to instructors online at www.blackwellpublishing.com/sinclair and by request on CD-ROM. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Southern African Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide $18.98 Wildlife is southern Africa’s number one visitor attraction. This handy, beautifully illustrated book combines field guide and travel guide, explaining where and when to find wildlife and how to identify it. Author Mike Unwin covers everything from the ‘Big Five’ to dung beetles to sand grouse, and explores the wildlife hotspots of seven countries, offering insights into animal behavior and up-to-date conservation perspectives. From superb-value Kruger safaris to Cape Town and its vineyards to malaria-free safaris on South Africa’s garden route, southern Africa has it all. Equally useful to both first-timer and serious naturalist, this Bradt guide is also the perfect safari souvenir.

Wildlife & Conservation Volunteering: The Complete Guide $8.98 From student backpackers who lose sleep over the plight of pandas, to merchant bankers seeking a holiday that gives meaning to their money, the market for ‘voluntourism’ is booming. But should one camp out with underprivileged orangutans, or live it up a luxury eco-lodge? This ground-breaking guide dissects volunteering market–with a special focus on wildlife and environmental conservation–and helps prospective volunteers to find a genuine eco-friendly, conservation-focused experience.

Models for Planning Wildlife Conservation in Large Landscapes $56.99 A single-resource volume of information on the most current and effective techniques of wildlife modeling, Models for Planning Wildlife Conservation in Large Landscapes is appropriate for students and researchers alike. The unique blend of conceptual, methodological, and application chapters discusses research, applications and concepts of modeling and presents new ideas and strategies for wildlife habitat models used in conservation planning. The book makes important contributions to wildlife conservation of animals in several ways: (1) it highlights historical and contemporary advancements in the development of wildlife habitat models and their implementation in conservation planning; (2) it provides practical advice for the ecologist conducting such studies; and (3) it supplies directions for future research including new strategies for successful studies. Intended to provide a recipe for successful development of wildlife habitat models and their implementation in conservation planning, the book could be used in studying wildlife habitat models, conservation planning, and management techniques. Additionally it may be a supplemental text in courses dealing with quantitative assessment of wildlife populations. Additionally, the length of the book would be ideal for graduate student seminar course. Using wildlife habitat models in conservation planning is of considerable interest to wildlife biologists. With ever tightening budgets for wildlife research and planning activities, there is a growing need to use computer methods. Use of simulation models represents the single best alternative. However, it is imperative that these techniques be described in a single source. Moreover, biologists should be made aware of alternative modeling techniques. It is also important that practical guidance be provided to biologists along with a demonstration of utility of these procedures. Currently there is little guidance in the wildlife or natural resource planning literature on how best to incorporate wildlife planning activities, particularly community-based approaches. Now is the perfect time for a synthestic publication that clearly outlines the concepts and available methods, and illustrates them. KEY FEATURES: * Only single resource book of information not only on various wildlife modeling techniques, but also with practical guidance on the demonstrated utility of each based on real-world conditions. * Provides concepts, methods and applications for wildlife ecologists and others within a GIS context. * Written by a team of subject-area experts

Carbofuran and Wildlife Poisoning $145 A compilation of international contributions from policy-makers, researchers, conservationists and forensic practitioners this text provides a summary of the history and mode of action of carbofuran, and its current global use. It covers wildlife mortality stemming from legal and illegal uses to this point, outlines wildlife rehabilitation, forensic and conservation approaches, and discuss global trends in responding to the wildlife mortality. The issue is very timely because of recent parallel discussions to withdraw and reinstate the insecticide in different parts of the world. Incidences of intentional and unintentional wildlife poisonings using carbofuran are undeniably on the rise, especially in Africa and India and gatherings of stakeholders are being organized and convened on a global basis. There is still a need to consolidate information on the different experiences and approaches taken by stakeholders. Carbofuran and Wildlife Poisoning is a comprehensive overview of global wildlife mortality, forensic developments and monitoring techniques and will be a definitive reference on the subject. This is the first book devoted entirely to the issue of carbofuran and wildlife mortality. It will comprise of historical and v current perspectives, contributions from key stakeholders in the issue of global wildlife poisonings with carbofuran, people on the ground who deal with the immediate and long-term ramifications to wildlife, those who have proposed or are working towards mitigative measures and solutions, those in contact with intentional or unintentional ‘offenders’, those who have adapted and developed forensic methodology and are gathering evidence. This book is unique because it will be written by and for stakeholders, and because, during the time it will be put together, stakeholders worldwide will be gathering to share knowledge and develop strategic action plans.

Careers in Wildlife Film-Making $23.48 Careers in Wildlife Film-making The essential book by Piers Warren, packed with guidance and advice for aspiring makers of natural history films Foreword by Jeffery Boswall "I have to say I am heartily impressed. This book should be compulsory for everyone in the industry, and for anyone yearning to get into it." Jean Hartley – Location Manager, Kenya. "I am very impressed What I would have given thirty years ago for such a thing." Nick Gordon – wildlife film-maker. If you work in the wildlife film-making industry – or want to – you need this book . The ONLY guide to working in the wildlife film-making industry. . Available mail-order worldwide – this is an international book featuring many case studies from all over the world – successful professionals explain how they got started and give hard-won advice. . Contents include: How Wildlife Films are Made, The variety of Jobs, How to Get Started, Education and Training, Wildlife Film Festivals, Organisations, Projects and Further Information, The Future of the Industry . Case Studies include: Nick Gordon, Doug Allan, Mark Deeble & Victoria Stone, Mike Holding and Tania "TJ" Jenkins, Peter Crabb, Brian Leith, Jeremy Evans and many more. . The incredible amount of advice, together with information on festivals, schools and industry organisations make this book an invaluable resource for all those wishing to succeed as a wildlife film-maker Described as ‘long-overdue’ and ‘much-needed’, this is not just an essential book for newcomers and wannabes – the fascinating case studies of well-known individuals, and unique discussion of the future of the industry from top professionals, make this an important read for those already working in thefields of wildlife, underwater and conservation film. Jobs discussed include: Producer, Assistant Producer, Researcher, Production Assistant, Administration and Publicity Co-ordinator, Director, Cinematographer/Camera Operator, Camera Assistant, Sound Recordist, Presenter, Narration Script-writer, Narrator, Music Composer, Picture Editor, Dubbing Mixer, Location Manager, Distributor, Broadcaster/Commissioning Editor, Stock Footage Library Manager, Multimedia Producer. The section ‘The Future of the Industry’ involves no-holds-barred views from individuals with a wide variety of experience of wildlife films – combining to produce a fascinating and eye-opening vision of the future of wildlife programming worldwide.

Wildlife for America;: The story of wildlife conservation, $3 This book is in Good Used condition