This blog was written by Jon-Harry van Wyk, a Bushwise International Field Guide student. Each student takes a turn as camp manager, and writing a blog is part of the experience.
When I was a young boy growing up in South Africa, the ultimate experience would be to stay in the bushveld. The wildness of the place, the sounds you hear at night, the excitement of seeing animals looking at you through the underbrush – there is no place on earth where you feel more in touch with the beauty and magnificence of nature. It is hard not to have an awakening in your soul once you have travelled deep into the bush, along the rivers and looked out over it from atop the peaks.
The first experience that I can think of that really sparked my interest in becoming a guide was around the age of ten. My family and I went on a game drive in the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve when this happened. I remember it was a sweltering day, the flies followed us as we moved in hopes of getting moisture from a bead of sweat. Our guide had found a herd of elephants who at the time were in the midst of their breeding season. We watched as two massive bull elephants struggled against each other for dominance and the breeding rights to their female onlookers. One of the bulls was defeated after a tussle that shook the ground and broke trees. As we sat there, he turned to face us, you could almost see the embarrassment in his eyes after his loss. There was a switch that flipped in his mind, he decided he would not stand the embarrassment, no mock charge or warning he flew towards us.
I remember in those moments of fear and the pumping of adrenaline how cool and collected our guide had stayed. He had read the situation before the fight had even finished, he had kept a cool head when the dust started flying and five tons were barreling towards us. After we had reversed for over three hundred meters or so the elephant felt he had gotten his frustrations out. As we drove back to the lodge, I felt an excitement and a newfound feeling of yearning to be the man in that seat, to be the man who could read the wild, to be a guide! Many years have passed since then, but that passion has always kept burning inside of me.
Now, as a young man, my passion for the bush has evolved. I want its serene beauty to still be here for my grandchildren and their children. I have taken the first steps in my journey towards becoming a guide by joining Bushwise. I want to immerse myself with this lifestyle and learn all it can teach me, I intend to leave no stone unturned in this experience. My end goal is to get involved in more of a conservation career through hunting. I’ve come across many individuals who disagree with my plan but in order to keep our parks ecosystems functioning there has to be checks and balances for populations. I hope that through my career I can learn from and teach those that I encounter how to ethically control population numbers, so that we may preserve the beauty of the South African bush for many generations to come.
My adventures along this path may very well lead me to different outcomes for my future, but my sights will always firmly be set upon preservation of the wild environment I now get to call home. Becoming a guide is just the beginning of this journey that I have set out upon, however it will not be its conclusion. Being in a place surrounded by people with the same passion and love for the bushveld was the perfect start. I encourage those that feel the pull of the bushveld to take that step deeper into its wonder and wildness, it is a place that changes you.
Ready to start your own journey in nature conservation? Explore Bushwise courses and apply now to become a qualified field guide!
