Isabelle Clay-Michael is a recent History and Archaeology graduate who used ArcGIS extensively to complete her dissertation. She enjoyed learning about the different uses of the mapping techniques but - as she also has an interest in reserve management - wanted to travel and learn new skills. Read on to learn more about the GIS & Reserve Management internship in Gondwana Game Reserve, South Africa, to discover why this provided the ideal internship for Isabelle!
Hi Isabelle, why did you decide to do the GIS & Reserve Management internship?
Whilst still traveling as much as possible I wanted to use the skills gained from my degree in a practical situation, as well as gaining new skills and a greater understanding of reserve management. Since leaving university a year ago, I have not had many opportunities to work with GIS and coming across this internship was the perfect opportunity. It allowed me to both travel and further my understanding of QGIS with my previous work being ArcGIS specific.
Alongside this, I was looking forward to the opportunity of both collecting the data in the field and then using it within my QGIS project, this allowing for a much greater appreciation of the overall process. Completing projects and being involved in all of the stages was something I found very fulfilling and was invaluable to my understanding of the use of GIS projects.
The internship has hugely increased my optimism for my future career. Opportunities are scarce for candidates with less experience in GIS where I live, however with this internship I hope to be able to enhance my skills and improve my wildlife management knowledge with the aim of using such a skillset in my future career.
What was it like settling in a new environment with a different culture?
Having never been to this part of the world, I had very few preconceptions as to what it would be like, particularly having never been an intern either. The first week was very full on with lectures and drives around the reserve, but was highly insightful and provided the foundations for our understanding of both the species on the reserve and the aims of the research projects taking place within Gondwana.
After Day 4, I had comfortably settled into the routines of the camp and internship program. The range of backgrounds people had within the camp led to a lot of discussions surrounding people’s cultures and comparisons between nationalities. As such I have created long lasting friendships with people around the world, from Germany to America. The trips we took on the weekends to Mossel Bay and Jakkalsvlei for example allowed us to explore more of the South African culture with everyone we spoke to being very welcoming and friendly. I hope to return to this part of the world as soon as I can to continue exploring.
Tell us more about your specific internship role?
Participating as an intern at the Gondwana Game Reserve included a variety of weekly activities including Game Transacts, Elephant Reintegration Trust exercises, Bird Point Counts, sample collecting, working with tracking cameras and GPS systems.
The data collected in such activities is in turn used in our self-led projects using the QGIS software. Balancing both practical tasks out in the reserve as well as allowing time for learning and research for my personal project developed my time management skills, whilst emphasizing the elements I enjoyed the most. During this process I gained a much greater appreciation for the challenges and sheer amount of work that goes into successful conservation projects.
Do you have any special moments to share with us?
It is very hard to choose just one favorite memory from my trip as every day we experienced something new. My favorite experience in the first week was undoubtedly meeting the elephants, the first time we saw one of the herds we sat and watched them interact both with each other and the landscape in what felt like touching distance. This was the first time I had seen elephants in the wild. I will never forget how human-like their characters are, with the relationships between the individuals reflecting their personalities much like our own human behaviors.
Another key memory was finding George the Cheetah - it was sunset and we had been searching for George for a while with our guide as no one had seen him in a few months. We watched him laze around and feed whilst the sun was setting; it was very special and something I won’t be forgetting soon.
How has the internship empowered you to be successful in your future career?
Since learning ArcGIS in university, I had always been interested in the abilities of such a software and potential uses of this as a future career path. After completing the internship, I have gained a lot more confidence in my QGIS skills, particularly as I have now completed a project from the early data collection phases to the finished product. There is undoubtedly a lot more I can learn, as is always the way, but I know that I have a solid foundation to prepare me for my future career.
What advice would you give someone else who is interested in this program?
Ensure you begin any internship with an open mind and an eagerness for new experiences. A willingness to learn is the key to both making the most of a new environment and in creating new friendships. It is a very unique position to travel to foreign countries and be so involved in a new culture and way of life, and in the case of Gondwana meeting so many new species. I believe that embracing new cultures as much as possible and enjoying the differences to be the key to ensuring a successful internship experience.
Ready to get started with your own internship experience?
Our step-by-step guide on how it works provides you with more information on how to get started. The process is user friendly - just submit your application to begin. It doesn’t cost anything to apply and won’t take more than 5 minutes. However, your formal expression of interest provides the foundation for us to help you take the next steps.