Volunteer at a City nature reserve or in a biodiversity programme
About volunteering
Volunteers can choose from the following options when volunteering with us.
Option 1:
You can choose to help at the following nature reserves:
Find out more about our
nature reserves.
duties
Your duties will vary depending on the nature reserve that you are volunteering at.
You can choose from the following work streams available at City nature reserves:
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General conservation – including various tasks that are required to successfully run a nature reserve. Some examples include: gate duty, fence patrols, invasive species control, bird counts, monitoring and evaluation, and communication.
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Administration – including administrative tasks such as: filing, using computer programs and assisting with reception.
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Environmental Education – assisting environmental education officers with tasks such as: teaching school groups, preparing lesson plans, venue bookings, making resources, preparing exhibitions and taking groups on guided hikes.
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Research – tasks depend on the type of research being done.
Option 2:
You can also choose to volunteer at a unit that specialises in specific activities:
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The Invasive Species Unit – specialises in the removal of invasive species. It would include tasks such as: hacking, insect-rearing and quality control. Volunteers will be based at the Westlake Conservation Centre in Westlake.
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Monitoring and Evaluation – dealing with data management tasks, such as: (database cataloguing and analysis), field work to collect data, report and procedure collation and writing. Volunteers will be based at the Westlake Conservation Centre in Westlake.
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Habitat Restoration Facility – volunteers will participate in: field work, propagation, data collection, updating labels, care for particular plants in the facility, seed collection, seed cleaning and seed sowing. They will be based at the Westlake Conservation Centre in Westlake.
For more information on the types of volunteers and work available, download the
Information Pack.
Invasive water hyacinth removal
Seasonal Wetlands Survey
Invasive water hyacinth removal
Eligibility
As a volunteer, you will need to be:
- 18 years or older (excuding job-shadowing)
- Reasonably fit
- Able to read, write and speak English (this is not applicable to group applicants where one or more member(s) of the group is able to translate for those who are unable to read, write or speak English)
- Covered by medical insurance (for international volunteers only)
Volunteers with disabilities will be assessed on a case-to-case basis and will be accommodated where possible. Unfortunately we may not be able to accomodate all disabled applicants.
If you are a younger volunteer, you can enquire about a job shadowing programme with us. The minimum age for job shadowing is 16 years. If you are under 18 and not volunteering as part of a job shadow programme, you can contact one of our
nature reserves directly to book an activity based learning programme.
If you want to volunteer long-term or on a continuous basis, we recommend joining one of our partner organisations, such as a formalised Friends Group or CREW. See the 'Non career-related long-term volunteers' section in the
Information Pack for more details.
Please note
- Space is limited and positions will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
- You should apply at least a month prior to your start date.
- We do not offer work on weekends.
Apply
Read the
Information Pack, including the Code of Conduct before you apply for any positions with us.
All applicants will need to download either an individual or group application form, which you will find out more about below.
Make sure that you fill out the application form accurately and do not leave anything out. Your application form must be signed by you, in person (no electronic signatures will be accepted)
Submit the completed application form, together with all supporting documentation to
nature.volunteers@capetown.gov.za
Individual applications
You will need to submit the following supporting documentation together with your application:
- Your CV
- A copy of your Identity Document (for South African citizens) or passport (for international volunteers)
- Copy of your travel/work visa – (for international volunteers only)
- Letter from your educational institution indicating the scope and need for your volunteering experience (for career-related volunteers only)
- Copy of your driving licence if you have indicated that you have a driving licence
Group applications
You will need to submit the following supporting documentation together with your application:
- Letter from your learning institution indicating the voluntary requirements – for career-related volunteers
Contact us
Find out more about volunteering with our Environmental Management Department’s Biodiversity Management Branch.
Download the information pack from the document downloads section below.
Email:
nature.volunteers@capetown.gov.za for more information.
Remember
- Space is limited for volunteers so you should apply at least a month before your start date.
- Placement is not guaranteed.
- Volunteers who are able to assist during the week will be given preference.
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