Fieldwork is an essential and exciting part of being in the palaeosciences. It gives students the opportunity to get their hands dirty, meet new colleagues and experience rich and remote sites.
The highlights, however, overshadow the practicalities of taking these trips. Students need to bring with them a range of equipment from tents to day packs, hiking boots, hats and hand lenses.
With some of the most exciting field camps held in other African countries, students also need passports and a readiness to leave home for weeks at a time.
“I really believe in a field aspect to student training. From an academic and personal point of view, getting out there and working in the field is invaluable,” says HERI Director Dr Robyn Pickering.
“But we take for granted that students are prepared for the field. Some have never been away from home, or never slept in a tent. It’s our job to help them be comfortable taking this step.”
One of the ways HERI does that is by opening a store of equipment to its students. Anything they need but may not have can be borrowed – no questions asked.
This condition is what makes the HERI store stand out, says Wendy Khumalo. A master’s student in Geology at UCT, she was given the opportunity in July to attend Kenya’s Koobi Fora Field School.
“At HERI, there is an emphasis on being comfortable asking for what you need. That is a huge thing in the context of making students safe and comfortable,” she says.
She notes that some camps, and indeed other departments, have equipment available to borrow. But she says these may come with judgement that isn’t given at HERI.
“Help is available, and most of the time we know it is. But it’s a question of whether I’m comfortable asking for help. At HERI, the help is there. No questions asked, no need to justify or explain why I don’t have the equipment,” she says.
Beyond providing equipment, HERI also provides support for students that may be stepping out of their comfort zone or leaving for their first-ever camp.
“I’d never travelled outside of South Africa before, so I had to organise a passport that was only issued at the last minute,” Khumalo says.
This created additional stress for planning. “There were a lot of anxiety from the short notice and being in a rushed situation,” she says.
Pickering put her in touch with a graduate assistant on the ground in Kenya, which helped put Khumalo at ease.
“Just having someone who can tell me it’s going to be okay was very helpful. Otherwise I’d have landed without having contact with anyone, and that would have been overwhelming,” she says.
Without HERI’s help, Khumalo’s first experience of the field may have been a negative one. Instead, she had a soft – and prepared – landing that allowed her to focus on what mattered.
“I really enjoyed Koobi Fora. It was a huge learning experience that opened my eyes to other disciplines and where they can fit for my own interests and research,” says Khumalo.
An acclaimed international programme, the Koobi Fora Field school provides a deeply immersive experience for palaeoanthropology students. They work alongside experts in palaeontology, geology, taphonomy, archaeology and many more.
“The Koobi Fora Field School is a wonderful opportunity for our students,” says Pickering.
“I am very proud of Wendy for taking this opportunity and literally just packing her bags and going – it takes real courage to do that.”