What To Bring
AERU Volunteer Uniform
Uniform: You will receive an AERU T-shirt, branded knitted Fleece, and cap. They are yours to keep. You will need to supply your own trousers or short pants however. These need to be hard wearing and neutral colours such as black, khaki, brown, olive or dark blue/dark denim (no camouflage, or other patterns) to maintain a professional image in line with AERU.
A waterproof jacket or poncho is always a good idea whatever time of year you are planning to visit the park, as the weather can be very unpredictable. Please remember, this should also be a neutral colour – green, brown, or black is preferred. We do have rain jackets available that you can borrow during your stay.
A good pair of walking boots / trainers is essential. Open shoes or flip flops are not allowed when in the field with the elephants. A hat (neutral colouring) is vital – it gets very hot here; the African sun is more intense than many overseas volunteers are used to.
Other useful items you may wish to bring include:
- Swimming costume (we have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world on our doorstep, which you can visit on the weekends)
- Books, games, and entertainment for the evenings, binoculars, personal first aid kit, laptop, or tablet.
- Car hire companies in SA require a credit card and a valid international driving licence so remember to bring both with if you want to hire a car on a weekend.
- Gumboots / rubber boots are useful – but only if you can fit them in your luggage (we do have several pairs available to borrow)
- Small rucksack or moon bag for out in the field.
- Warm tops, fleeces, or jacket (waterproof trousers may come in handy in wet weather – especially if you come in wintertime. Night temperatures can drop to 0°C in winter)
- Clothes of neutral colours (Clothing for layering is always good as it often warms up during the day)
- 1 pair of working gloves (the gardening ‘leather’ type – for cleaning out elephant pens and bringing branches in for the elephants). We have pairs for volunteers to borrow, but most volunteers prefer to have their own.
- Latex gloves for lab / dung walk if possible (we use up to 20 gloves per week)
- South African suited plug adaptors for appliances
- Sunscreen (SPF 30 or more), a sun hat or cap and sunglasses
- Bath or swimming towels
- Camera
- A torch / flashlight
- Water bottle
- Insect repellent
