STUDENT EXPERIENCES
Wondering what it’s like to join WILD in the field? Our interns and volunteers come from around the world and from all kinds of backgrounds—engineering, biology, AI, and more. Here, they share quick thoughts on what it meant to live and work on the frontlines of conservation, combining their skills with real-world impact.
What an incredible, life-changing experience!
During my time with SPOTS/WILD, I discovered not only the importance of protecting and nurturing the nature we all cherish but how well we can achieve this with technology. 🛩️ This experience was so inspiring that I couldn’t walk away—I continued working with them to contribute even more! 🦏 🌿 🐆
A huge thank you to Robi, Johan, and Arina for teaching me that loving nature isn't just about admiration—it's about being part of it, working with it, and making a real impact. 🐘
- Georg Strunck – 2023 – TU Delft, German, Aerospace Engineering
“Interning at WILD has shown me how technology and robotics can make a meaningful difference in nature preservation. Working on research and development for autonomous driving, while being immersed in the testing environment, the wilderness, has been a unique engineering experience that has enhanced my expertise in autonomous control. Thank you, WILD, for this unforgettable opportunity!.”
- Hubert Visser – 2024 – TU Delft, Dutch, Robotics
My internship at WILD was a truly unique experience. As a Robotics student from the Netherlands I got the opportunity to work in an environment I had never been in before. Within WILD I improved my Robotics skills, applying what I know and learning new skills, but WILD taught me so much more. Being immersed in nature everyday and being surrounded by wildlife, I learned so much about all sorts of animals, conservation and South-Africa’s culture.
Jurjen Scharringa – 2024 – TU Delft, Dutch, Robotics
My time with WILD has been an unforgettable experience, and an important part of my professional development. It challenged my creativity, resilience, and problem solving skills, while allowing me to put my robotics skills towards a cause that truly matters.
Matei Drilea – 2024 – University of Twente, Romanian, Advanced Technology
“During my internship at WILD, I had the chance to finally work on something tangible, out in the field, directly witnessing the significance of our work. Being part of a project dedicated to conservation and the fight against poaching was an incredibly meaningful experience, one that reinforced my passion for using technology to drive positive change.”
Lucie Reynaud – 2024 – ETH Zurich, French, Mechanical Engineering
My three-month internship at SPOTS was a unique experience. Waking up every morning and having coffee by the gate, with impalas and giraffes passing by, was a uniquely peaceful experience, a daily reminder of how closely connected we were to nature. I gained a lot of hands-on mechatronics skills, which was a great learning opportunity. It was good to put my skills to use for wildlife conservation and be part of a team working on something meaningful. The internship gave me a practical perspective on conservation efforts, and I’m glad I could contribute in some way.
Clovis Schmitt – 2024 – ETH Zurich, French, Mechanical Engineering (Robotics, Systems, and Control)
Finding worthy endeavors capable of unifying my adult love of engineering/STEM with my childhood love of big beautiful animals and giant wild spaces. Had always been a concern of mine. Until I was fortunate enough to intern in South Africa on a Big Five Game Reserve with WILD! There I wore many hats, as a multi-rotor UAV pilot, novice aerodynamicist, and part of the anti-poaching community. I found that first taste of meaningful unity. 🌿⚙️
Engineering applied to and having a measurable impact on wild habitat 🐆 and animal preservation. 🌍 It was all thanks to those that founded and continue to operate WILD! 🌿🐘🦏
Thomas Bryan – 2023 – Lehigh University, US American, Aerospace Engineering
What an unforgettable experience! My time at SPOTS was incredible—filled with meaningful work, beautiful memories, and the reward of knowing our efforts made a real impact on conservation.
A huge thank you to Robi, Johan, and Arina for making all of this possible, I know I'll keep these memories with me forever!
Axel Barbelanne – 2024 – ETH Zurich, French, Robotics, Systems, and Control
A fever dream come true! That is what my adventure at SPOTS/WILD was. It had everything: hands-on-engineering, drone flying, wild animal encounters, patrols and so much more. This is not a 9-to-5 experience, you live on base and you own your project. Do not join if you are looking for a vacation! It is very rewarding to complete your time abroad with a succesfull testflight or a working prototype, knowing that your work will directly help save animals who would otherwise have been poached. Besides that you meet beautiful people and make friends for life. Thanks Robi, Arina, Bart, Chris, Johan, Georg and everyone else who made this such a succesful internship! 🦏
Daan van Hamersveld – 2025 – Air Ranger, TU Delft, Dutch, Aerospace Engineering
My time in Africa and this internship has left an everlasting imprint on my life. I learned a tremendous amount, not only mastering new technical skills and understanding the unique nature of Africa, but also making significant discoveries about myself. Using my AI expertise to contribute to conservation was deeply personally fulfilling and a true privilege. My sincere thanks to Wild & SPOTS for this incredible opportunity.
Mariana Duarte, 2025, Object Detection, American, Artificial Intelligence
My stay at the WILD base has been an experience that will follow me for the rest of my life. Living within the reserve, surrounded by the raw presence of wild animals and hearing their calls echo through the night under a vast, star-filled sky, was both humbling and grounding, a powerful reminder of what we stand to lose and why I chose to dedicate myself to conservation engineering. I have always dreamed of uniting my passion for technology with the urgent need to protect wildlife, and at WILD that dream took form. Here, poaching is no longer an abstract issue or a statistic but a tangible reality, you witness the fragility of life and the courage of those who protect it. Every tool we design becomes a small act of resistance against disappearance.
Aurore Magnan, 2025, Acoustic sensors and frequency-based detection, Belgian, Electrical Engineering
POSTGRADS
As a digital nomad, I missed hands-on work, so I joined the Air Ranger project—a fixed-wing surveillance drone. Living in a game reserve is amazing, with an airstrip for testing (watching for wildlife!). The team is passionate, and I love flying the Mavic on patrols. Though I'm here for only two months, I know I'll be back!
Bart Slinger – 2025 – Mapture.AI , Dutch, Aerospace Engineering
