We’re running a limited series of research expeditions to the stunning Nyika National Park – and you can join the first unique trip, 15-22 August!
Nyika is Malawi’s oldest and largest national park. Situated in the north of the country, the park covers the whole of the Nyika Plateau, a unique upland with most parts lying about 2,000m above sea level.
‘Nyika’ means ‘where the water comes from’ as the plateau is an important water catchment area in Malawi. The park consists of rolling grassy hills, forested valleys and sheer escarpments which are home to over 400 species of birds and the highest leopard population in the region. Nyika is also home to herds of zebra, roan antelope and eland.
Our monitoring work in Nyika National Park focuses primarily on vultures – but if you join our expedition in August you’ll also learn to track herds of zebra and roan antelope. The information you help us to collect is used to inform the park’s adaptive population management strategies – which means that you’ll make a direct difference to the protection and conservation of Malawi’s wildlife.
During the eight-day trip, you’ll spend time observing and recording vultures in a crucial breeding location – the data you collect will support our wider vulture conservation programme, which is helping to protect these critically endangered birds. You’ll also learn telemetry and GPS techniques to track zebra and roan antelope – all while exploring Nyika’s unique setting. The park is home to incredible birdlife so this trip is particularly special for bird lovers!
The immersive experience can be intense and requires early starts, long days and plenty of patience! But in the evenings you’ll have some downtime to relax around the fire – listening to the sounds of the bush and chatting about the day’s events. You’ll also experience some truly unique moments as you learn more about the dynamics of groups and individual wild animals during your time in the park.
A place on the expedition costs £800 per person – this includes transfers to and from Lilongwe, food, accommodation and all the activities.
In Nyika you’ll stay in shared rooms of two beds each, in a cosy little log cabin with a balcony overlooking some beautiful scenery. The cabin has electricity for a few hours a day, and we will organise heated water. Three meals a day are provided and we can cater for any dietary requirement mentioned prior to arrival. Please note that the cabin has poor mobile signal.
ITINERARY
Day 1
Morning: transfer from Lilongwe to Mzuzu
Afternoon: lunch in Mzuzu then drive to Vwaza
Evening: Health and Safety presentation; dinner and relax by the fire
Day 2
Morning: drive to Nyika
Afternoon: vulture and iNaturalist/GBIF presentation
Day 3
All day: vulture count at carcass
Day 4
Morning: vulture count at carcass
Afternoon: telemetry and GPS training
Day 5
Morning & afternoon: tracking zebra, roan and eland herds
Evening: vulture location checks; spotlight drive back to camp
Day 6
All day: vulture location checks and tracking zebra, roan and eland herds
Day 7
Morning: drive to Mzuzu
Afternoon: uploads onto iNaturalist & GBIF
Evening: overnight in Mzuzu
Day 8
Transfer to Lilongwe
REQUIREMENTS
You don’t need any prior experience or qualifications to apply – just a passion for nature! The skills you’ll be using – such as telemetry and GPS – will be taught during the expedition. The only requirement is a fair amount of patience as we’ll be sitting in the same spot looking for vultures for long periods of time!
