International Travel

Volunteer Travel

Do you have a sense of adventure? Do you want to see how conservation is practiced in other parts of the world? International Volunteer Travel may just be your ticket. This is a new FWS Retirees Association activity which we hope to grow. Working with a number of partners and contacts we develop opportunities for FWS retirees to travel together to volunteer in other countries. Trips consist of volunteer work and opportunities to go see the wildlife and the habitat of other countries.

And for future information on volunteer travel, check out the newsletters and “Like” the FWS Retirees Association page on Facebook.

Adventure Travel with FWS Retirees

As we emerged from our COVID cocoons and got back out into the world, Donna Stanek led a couple of FWS Retirees trips to Africa. Today’s safaris are not of the Out of Africa mold – but are still filled with adventure and fantastic wildlife viewing. Both trips were booked with Africa Through Your Lens, a company that has been hosting FWS Retirees in South Africa for over 10 years. Donna hosts Africa trips almost every year.

Future Trips

Tanzania Adventure!

Have you watched shows about Africa and the Serengeti and dreamed of actually being there?  Well, here is your chance to live that dream!

Our friends at Africa Through Your Lens are offering us a safari to Tanzania to see all the famous sites in the fall of 2027.  This 11-day in-country safari starts in Arusha and will include: Tarangire National Park, Manyara National Park, the famous Ngorongoro Crater, Ndutu, and the Serengeti itself!  Since we are scheduled from September 28 to October 8, we will be in the middle of “wildlife baby” season. We will experience remarkable wildlife viewing, dramatic views, and premium safari camps where we can often see wildlife from our decks and viewing platforms while enjoying an adult beverage!  There is a good chance that you will possibly see the great wildebeest migration.  As we travel west, we will see fewer and fewer people and more and more wildlife!  This is a road trip like none other!

This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure!  For more information contact Donna Stanek at dstanek0418@hotmail.com

Contributed by Donna Stanek.

Tales of Adventure

Winter in South Africa – It’s Hot! 

A group of intrepid FWS retirees, spouses and friends have recently returned from another successful volunteer safari to South Africa. This year’s group consisted of 11 travelers to ChaZen Game Reserve and Pilanesberg National Park. We spent the first week of the adventure trimming overhanging vegetation from game drive trails. These tour routes had become overgrown with hanging tree limbs and encroaching bushes. Did you know that about 95% of the trees and bushes have large thorns? – Or at least it seems that way when you are cutting them back! We cleared three tour loops, so now visitors will not need to dodge thorny limbs and enjoy the amazing wildlife! 

But it was not all work and no play! Work details were only in the mornings, so the afternoon could be spent on such important pursuits such as napping, reading, and just lounging about! We were treated to an afternoon game drive every day and it never disappointed us! ChaZen (where the work was done) has a large variety of antelopes, along with hippos, giraffes, Cape buffalo and too many others to mention here! 

To top off the trip we spent three days at Pilanesberg National Park. This national park is one of South Africa’s most visited, being a short drive from Johannesburg. There we stayed in an adjacent private game reserve, Black Rhino. Which enabled us to have the best of both worlds, a private game reserve and national park. Here we had a chance to see elephants (up close 10 and personal), lions hunting wildebeest (what a treat), cheetahs, rhinos (black and white), and large variety of other wildlife and birds! 

Everyone had a good time with lots of laughs and stories to tell at home! Article and photos from Donna Stanek. 

Wildlife at Pilanesberg