Volunteer
Projects and Programs
ABRE conducts both once-off biodiversity assessments and research projects
as well as continuous or annual monitoring programs which volunteers
can apply to participate in.
The funds generated from volunteer participation finance these projects.
Project data is provided to wildlife and protected area management authorities
to inform conservation management actions and policies.
The data from specific projects may also be implemented for academic purposes
with academic partners.
Continuous Monitoring Programs 2025
Pongola Game Reserve and Pongola Nature Reserve
herpetological monitoring program
This program is conducted once every month between the Pongola Game Reserve and Pongola Nature Reserve. These protected areas are both situated
around the Pongolapoort Dam.
The program entails both the monthly monitoring of Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus population using boat-based day time and night-time spotlight counts and herpetofaunal diversity using pitfall and funnel trap arrays.
Active searches may also be conducted as well as conservation management activities such as alien invasive plant removal to ensure habitat integrity. This is a physically challenging project and volunteers applying for this project need to be relatively fit.
For more information on dates and fees please contact us!
Annual Monitoring Programs
Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve Herpetelogical Survey 2026
Verloren Valei Nature Reserve is a 5000ha protected area situated along the Steenkamps Mountain Range north of the town of Dullstroom. The area forms a mosaic of high-altitude grassland and vegetated wetlands and harbours significant avian and floral diversity.
ABRE will be conducting a herpetological survey on Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve from the 4th till the 17th of January 2026 as part of an ongoing monitoring program. The area has been surveyed twice before, in 2022 and 2024. The survey centres around the daily checking of eight pitfall and funnel trap array scattered across the reserve. Night-time wetland frogging and acoustic monitoring will also be conducted since all previous surveys were focussed on terrestrial grasslands. The previous surveys yielded 15 reptile species and six amphibian species.
The 2022 Verloren Vallei baseline herpetological survey results were published in Jordaan et al. (2023): http://www.biotaxa.org/hn/article/view/75619
The project is priced per week. The price of participation will include travel from and back to OR Thambo airport, food, and accommodation. Participants will be housed in a nearby guesthouse.
For more infomation on fees and dates, please contact us!
Manyeleti Game Reserve Herpetological Survey 2026
Manyeleti Game Reserve is a 47000-ha protected area situated in the South African Lowveld. Manyeleti forms part of the greater Kruger area and
houses a variety of wildlife including the big five.
ABRE will be conducting herpetological surveys as part of annual reptile and amphibian monitoring program. The 2025 survey took place over three weeks between the 27th of January till the 17th of February.
The survey centres around the daily checking, removal, and processing of reptiles and amphibians captured in a series of pitfall and funnel trap arrays placed throughout Manyeleti Game Reserve. Active searches to document additional herpetofauna may also be performed.
Due to the presence of potentially dangerous wildlife on the site, an armed escort will accompany volunteers in the field.
Sterkspruit Nature Reserve Herpetological Field Program 2025
In collaboration with Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, African Biodiversity Research Expeditions (Pty) Ltd has been commissioned to conduct and fund a herpetelogical survey of the Sterkspruit Nature reserve.
The Sterkspruit Nature Reserve is situated 10km east of Mashashing (previously Lydenburg) and covers more than 1600ha of Montane Grassland ranging between grassland, woodland and valley forest vegetation. The herpefauna has not previously been quantitively surveyed, however the area was included in an assessmnet of Jacobsen (1989) and the White-throated Legless Skink Acontias albigularis has recently been described north of the reserve.
To fund this survey, ABRE will be accepting five paying participants per week to assist in the field. This project aims to allow South African students and early career ecologists, zoologists and conservationists, to gain field experience in surveying reptiles and amphibians. International participants are also welcome. The price of participation includes camping (tents provided), firewood and transport from Mashashing.
Surveying will consist of pitfall and funnel trap arrays in the western section of the reserve. It will involve hiking across the reserve's very unique mountain terrain. Therefore, participants will have to be physically fit. Included in this project will be night time frogging along water streams and water courses.
These surveys will take place over three weeks:
1-7 December 2025
18-14 December 2025
15-21 December 2025
Participants can have the option to do one or multiple weeks. Applicants are welcome to join staff to install pitfall and funnel trap arrays on site at NO COST 24-30 November 2025.
For rates and further information on this project, please contact us.
