The Research Camp is situated on the privately owned Goro Game Reserve on the northern slope of the Soutpansberg between Vivo and Waterpoort in Limpopo, South Africa. It includes 6500ha of land with a maximum altitude of 1400 m asl and impressive baobab trees embossing the landscape. The property is divided by a tar road. The 'mountain property' includes 3500ha Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld with
patches of riverine vegetation and the other side consists of 3000ha Musina Mopane and Makhado Sweet bushveld. Surrounding properties vary from conservation areas to crop and cattle farms. We will help facilitate access to surrounding properties if necessary. The fauna of the Goro Game Reserve includes among others giraffe, mountain zebra, kudu, bushbuck, klipspringer, warthog, lesser and greater bushbaby, vervet monkey and chacma baboon, leopard tortoise, mongoose, genet, civit,brown hyaena and leopard. We will be able to provide accommodation for ten students in a camp on the ‘mountain property‘ which was previously used for rustic tourist lodging. The camp is equipped with three huts (one hut with one bedroom and private bath, sleeping max. two persons; and two huts with two bedrooms, shared bathroom and terrace, sleeping max. four persons). The big community house has a fully equipped kitchen, storage room, bar, community area and a sun deck. For bigger groups additional accommodation could be arranged. There is also a big braai area and a pool available to the students. Hot water and electricity are provided and a Wi-Fi connection is planned. Project suggestions:
For the first phase of the Research Camp we are looking for independent students (preferably postgrads), that need a suitable study area and accommodation for their project. Furthermore we are very interested in scans and the compilation and complementation of flora and fauna lists and vegetation mapping, which are possible projects for undergrads, interns or volunteers. Also projects assisting our two PhD projects are possible.
- The effect of hunt on vigilance behavior of antilopes, warthogs etc (comparison before and after the hunt)
- Human-animal conflicts
- Predation and social behaviour studies (for the latter habituation of animals might be necessary beforehand)
- Altitudinal studies
- Flora- and fauna- species lists
- Vegetation mapping
- Trail mapping
- The effect of pest insect species on macadamia trees
- Diet analyses and community composition of bats in macadamia orchards
- Habitat use of bats in and around macadamia orchards