Danielle Jackson and Jake Dove, leaders of the SES Championed Expedition – South African Conservation Expedition 2019 – have just returned from successfully completing their expedition, which took a group of Glasgow-based University students, set to be the next leaders in their respective professions, to the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The aim was to expose them to the incredible wildlife, as well as the real-life challenges faced by the conservationists in situ, and inspire them to take-up the mantle of conservation, whilst having a tangible and lasting effect on the local communities the Expedition Team worked with.

The Expedition ran for two weeks and included:

• Sponsoring of an endangered species veterinary procedure to replace the telemetry tracking collars on a pride of lions in the area.
• Carrying-out research into the health of estuarine habitats monitoring for the effects of climate change on the biodiversity of the ecosystem.
• Working with ecology and anti-poaching units to understand the challenges faced by conservationists, especially relating to the rhino crisis.
• Sponsoring of projects within a local Xhosa school to improve sanitary and communal areas for the children decreasing the risk of sickness (due to poor hygiene) leading to missed time at school.
• Sponsoring of recycling bins for the local schools and townships in order to improve the aesthetics of the areas and to raise environmental awareness within wider communities.
• Providing a structured program with roles and responsibilities for the students enabling them to demonstrate and develop leadership and team working skill, which will count towards the qualifications they are already undertaking in other areas of their studies.
• Inspiring the students and creating future ambassadors for conservation.

Please see the Expedition Report for full details of the expedition findings.