Apply for a funded year in the field
If you are an African birder aged 18 to 25 with the ear but not the opportunity, this is for you. Applying costs nothing.
A year in the field, paid for
This is not a bursary that arrives as a cheque. It is a place on real departures, beside working guides, for twelve months — because guiding is learned in wet boots at five in the morning and nowhere else.
- Binoculars and a field guide — yours to keep, not on loan
- A place on scheduled departures across the year, travelling with the group
- Mentorship from a senior guide, one to one
- Transport, meals and accommodation for every training trip
- Introductions to the operators who hire guides in your region
- Aged 18 to 25 at the time of applying
- A national of one of the eligible African countries listed in the form
- A genuine, demonstrable interest in birds — not a CV line
- Able to commit to field trips across a full year
We read every application. You will hear from us within two to three weeks whatever the outcome.
I could hear every bird in that forest before I could name a single one. The programme gave me the names, and then it gave me the job.Allan · Field Guide, sponsored 2022
Your application
Take your time with the last two questions. They are the ones we actually weigh, and a short honest answer beats a long polished one.