Nurturing our planet by training nature guides

Schalk Pretorius is the founder and co-owner of Ulovane Environmental Training, a company that trains field guides. He says that it’s a job that requires dedication, commitment, patience and respect

What do you do?

As the founder and owner of the business, I am involved in all facets of the company. But my main responsibility is to provide direction for employees by always being involved and supportive. This includes creating and revising a business plan that describes the courses the company offers. It is also my responsibility to help create an inspiring, motivated and committed mindset among staff so that there is a cohesive team spirit. This is done by creating opportunities for employees to develop and further their individual skills and qualifications.

I assist our accountant to create and monitor realistic and achievable budgets and assist the trainers to develop inspiring, organised and outcomes-based training programmes.

Public relations are also important, because we need to ensure that the landowners of the various reserves we operate in are satisfied with our ethics and conduct.

What drew you to environmental training?

From a young age I have been interested in knowing how the planet functions and how we fit into the bigger picture - using its resources while preserving it to ensure the sustainability of the human race. We are completely dependent on the planet, so everyone needs to make a contribution to a more sustainable way of life to ensure we do not harm the planet to a point of no return.

My first priority was to create awareness of the wealth of diversity the planet supports in the remaining wilderness areas and how wonderfully and intricately all life is connected and interrelated to create a system that sustains all life.

This is when I started my guiding career, to share this message with tourists visiting South Africa.

What was your first job and what important lesson did you learn from it?

I had many part-time jobs during my school career to earn pocket money, but my first real job was being a farmhand on an ostrich farm in Israel during a gap year after school.

Being away from home for the first time and being on a different continent without today's internet and cellphones taught me to become self-sufficient, to be accountable for my actions as an adult and to take control of my life.

What did you study and how does that help you do your job?

I obtained all my formal qualifications while working. I followed the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa route to obtain my level 3 guiding qualification, including specialisations in guiding on foot in areas where dangerous animals occur, bird guiding and marine guiding.

Obtaining all my qualifications while working, I believe, has benefited me immensely, because I can apply what I am studying each day and be mentored by a specialist on the job.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I've always wanted to be involved on a game reserve in whatever capacity, because some of my best childhood experiences took place on my uncle's game farm.

What would you most like to outsource from your job?

Nothing. Being the owner of the company, one understands that all aspects of the business are important, and are all interrelated to the overall success of the company. There will always be aspects of the business that one might not completely enjoy doing, but conquering these aspects makes success at the end of the day so much more enjoyable and satisfactory.

What is the best thing about the work you do?

The joy I experience when learners and employees achieve their goals. Working hand in hand with them through the challenges and hard times towards a goal, and ultimately reaching those goals, is truly rewarding.

If you were to choose another career, what would it be?

I would get involved with sustainable and organic food production.

Planting seeds and nurturing young plants to a point where you can harvest the fruit is as rewarding as training field guides.

What character traits do you need to do your job?

You need dedication, persistence, commitment, responsibility, passion, patience and, above all, respect.