Lajuma Research Centre, Louis Trichardt (Makhado)
Biological Research and Internships
Lajuma Research Centre
The Lajuma Research Centre near Makhado (Louis Trichardt) in the Limpopo Province provides research and volunteer opportunities to students and volunteers from foreign countries and from local disadvantaged communities. To date more than 400 students and volunteers ranging from pre-university to Ph.D. degrees have participated in the Lajuma Programme or conducted their own projects. The Centre is managed by Ian and Retha Gaigher, both with Ph.D. degrees and more than 30 years of research and teaching experience.
Our mission is to build up a data base of the environment, bio-diversity and ecology of this unique part of South Africa with the assistance of local and international universities. We presently have links with academics at the following institutions: University of Wageningen (Netherlands), Durham University (UK), University of Illinois (USA), Claremont Colleges (USA), Texas Tech University (USA), Canicius College (USA), Humboldt Institute (Germany) and University of Venda (SA).
The Environment
Vegetation varies considerably from montane grassland to woodland, thicket and mistbelt forest. The reserve contains a remarkable diversity of plants, including a large number of endemics and rare and endangered species. Large mammals include mountain reedbuck, red and grey duiker, klipspringer, bushbuck, kudu, warthog, aardvark and bush pig. All five South African primate species lesser bushbaby, greater bushbaby, vervet monkey, sykes monkey and chacma baboon - occur in abundance. We have a variety of predator species such as mongoose, honey badger, genet, serval, caracal, civet, brown hiena and a high concentration of leopard.
Lajuma does not present the typical perceived African environment of savannah, dust, heat, galloping herds of antelope and lions roaring at night. It does however present a unique wilderness area with a remarkable diversity of plants and animals, beautiful mountain scenery, remote, unpolluted and tranquil yet within an hour's drive of an urban centre and access to communication and shopping centres and good medical facilities. You will not hear lions roaring at night but you will experience tranquillity with more stars than you ever imagined existed. You will hear fruit bats squeaking, bush babies calling, a wood owl duet or a baboon giving a warning call from a cliff, possibly for seeing a leopard in the moonlight.
Student Research Programme
Suitable for interns, post graduate students (Masters or Ph.D.) or students who have to write apaper for their diploma or degree. These students ideally have to obtain relevant literature and prepare a project outline before their arrival at Lajuma. We will assist you with the selection and structuring of a project based on your academic background and field of interest and with the prior planning of the project through email. After arrival you will receive an orientation and you will be trained in the techniques that you will use. At this stage the project proposal will also be finalised. Students will not be constantly supervised and will work largely independently or in groups or with a volunteer to assist them. Technical advice such as plant identification or equipment use will be available whenever required throughout the duration of the project.
Students can select a project of their own or participate in one of the following main research fields (more information on the programmes will be provided on request):
- Resource use, predator avoidance, social dynamics and range in overlapping populations of chacma baboon, sykes monkey and vervet monkey. These populations are already well-habituated to human presence.
- The ecology and management of leopard and other predators.
- The ecological dynamics of "islands of fertility" in a savannah woodland.
- Application of foraging theory (based on giving up density) to assess habitat use, predator avoidance and community processes in rodents and large mammals.
- The diversity, behaviour and population dynamics of reptiles and amphibians.
- Cross species information transfer in a vertebrate community.
- A long term study of the impact of climate change on plant and aminal diversity on a transect over the Soutpansberg Mountain.
Accommodation and Costs
Students will be accommodated in the “Barn” or in the "Bush Camp". The accommodation fee is R3 500 per month, payable monthly in advance. The first payment is due on arrival. In the case of arrival or departure during a calendar month, the fee will be based on the number of nights spent in the programme during that month. The accommodation fee cannot be reduced for absence due to field trips or private traveling. A minimum payment of R3 500 applies to persons staying for a period shorter than one month.
The accommodation fee covers the following:
- Accommodation equipped with hot showers, flush toilets, a gas stove, fridge, tapped water, washing machine, gas, firewood and electricity (220V). Electricity is not suitable for high voltage equipment such as irons, kettles or hairdryers and is either generated at a waterfall (24 hours) or with a generator (after sundown).
- Assistance with projects (see description in previous section).
- The use of available scientific equipment.
- Transport from and to the bus terminus in Louis Trichardt (Makhado) during arrival and departure.
- Transport will be provided to Louis Trichardt (Makhado) once a week for shopping, visits to an internet café, landline phone calls, etc.
- Transport to Louis Trichardt (Makhado) for medical emergencies.
The accommodation fee does not cover the following:
- Meals
- Medical costs
- The cost of consumables for research projects
- Fixed line telephone, fax or email costs
- Transport from and to an airport
- We provide a pillow and a sheet but participants have to bring their own sleeping bag and towels.
- Transport to Louis Trichardt (Makhado) for private traveling.
