An Unforgettable Journey: Our Students Explore the Okavango Delta

This March, we ran another two week trip to the Okavango Delta with six secondary students and two teachers.  The bush was good to us this year and provided some of the most amazing experiences that one can have in the African wilderness.  

In the first four days students found four leopards.  I think we saw eight in total, but it was hard to keep count.  

A few days later, students spent the afternoon with 34 painted dogs, watching them greet each other and prepare for the hunt.  

With a success rate around 90%, students witnessed these carnivores chase a male kudu, daringly and with immediate failure approach a harem of zebra, and finally devour an impala next to camp.  

And I almost forgot, a rare sighting in the concession amongst the leopards and the painted dogs made our day - two cheetahs in an iconic pose resting on top of a termite mound.  The list of sightings goes on and on.  You will have to ask the students about the rest.

In between the everyday excitement on game drives, students spent two hours per day studying academic units on the biology and behavior of different animals and plants, ecology, geology, and more.  Two students this year followed through with taking the Botswana Qualifying Authority exam.  In the future upon receiving their driver’s licenses, they can return to the Delta and complete the rest of the practical exam for their guiding certification.  

After academic lessons, students would venture into the bush to apply what they had learned that day.  In this photo, they are tracking and applying their knowledge of animal behavior - a diverse composition in a 1 meter squared piece of sand with tracks of leopard, hyena, wild cat, and doves. 

Filling in the empty space with even more signs of the night before, a plethora of beetles, spiders and various other creepycrawlies that the students now know as arthropods. 

Students also gave presentations on different flora and fauna that are commonly found in the Okavango Delta.  One student this year took a particular interest in frogs, and showcased the intricacies of their physiology, amplexus, and ecological importance.  

Another moment of success was the students identifying more than 110 birds!  They ended up three birds short of the record set by the previous March group at 116. 

Huffy, our guide during these two weeks, demonstrated a profound understanding of the Delta, worked well with our students, and showed them the true meaning of off-road driving as we bulldozed our way through islands in search of cats and dogs.  Notably, we had a fantastic last day during which Huffy and another guide put the students in Makoros on the edge of the Khudum River. 

The Okavango Delta remains one of the most amazing places on planet Earth, and our students are fortunate to have two weeks there under the leadership of African Guide Academy.  Students leave the trip with practical skills in identifying flora and fauna, academic foundations in ecology and biology, and a stronger sense of independence and agency.  

They also leave with once in a lifetime experiences that can shape future aspirations and careers towards conservation and sustainability in southern Africa and around the world.  

Forrest Donoho

Outdoor Education Program Coordinator