SANParks.org Forums

Glad to have you here! That's really nice naturelover...let you in on a little secret...I think we ALL feel the same way!

We do actually...

Voted in the addiction thermometer yet? You can find that here...

Hi all

When I am on the forums I feel like this

And when I'm not on the forum- for whatever reason, I feel like this

and when you're not here...we feel like that too...

It is very interesting how differerent people post on this forum.
Take myself, I am a member for about two years now and only posted about 50 posts. Nevertheless I am spending time on this forum every day. OK I must say that for about a year it was only watching the cam once in a while. Then I discovered the forum, animals, trip reports, activities and chit chat and allthough I have not met one of you, I feel like I know you all.

On the chit chat there is Curios Canadian, Timbo and Wild about Cats to name a few. On the webcam, Bouf, Edgy1, Meg Matthys, Skillie and many more.
Then theres my fellow western cape forum members like Michele Nel and Bush Baptist, not to leave out Addo expert Peter Betts.

Last but not least the the mods that is looking after as all.

I really feel like this my extended family and are surely going to try my first trip report after my visit in July 2008(KNP)

Browsing further now made me think this might belong under another tread. Please move if necessary mods

Hello, Henk!

Thanks for your guts!

If you want to cry, read the "Why do you belong to the Forums" thread! (Some really deep stuff there! )

(I "joined" expecting a drunken "one night stand", and got a marriage made in heaven! If that serves as an adequate comparison...)

Hi Henk,

A good topic! I think it is important for all of us to understand why others are on the forum. So it will be nice to hear from as many members as possible. Perhaps the reason one joined is different to the reason one is still around, two, or nearly three years later. Why do we all stay? Are we just plain SANParks mad? Cam mad? Conservation mad? Or is it the warmth of the 'extended family' that keeps us addicted?

This topic is probably going to get more exposure in the "Tell us what you think" forum, where I will move it to shortly.

Well I started coming here to glean information about a forthcoming trip and then stayed to watch the webcam. That was nearly 3 years ago. I don't think there's any one thing that keeps me coming back though.

I love learning more about the Parks. I now have a burning desire to visit all of them, even the ones that I would never have heard of, or even considered.

I've found the forum really helps me get the most out of my visits, especially to KNP. It's a huge deal for me to get to South Africa and the forum has helped me immensely to get the maximum from my trip. I've found out about the camps (Tamboti for example) that I wouldn't otherwise have considered. Even little things about the shops and cafes and where to get supplies from have been invaluable.

The debates can be interesting and it's great that there is a broad spectrum of opinion.

I've learnt so much about animal behaviour and my interest in birding has been given a huge boost, even stuck up here in the northern hemisphere.

The trip reports are possibly my favourite area. We have so many talented people out there whose photos are stunning and whose writing just brings the bush alive. It's particularly fun to read the trip reports from new visitors who have asked for help and gone on to have an amazing experience. It's great to see the Parks through the eyes of first time visitors.

And then there's the people.

I'm a member of various forums. I actively participate on 2. One is very parochial - my lower league football club with a small audience. The other is this one. On the others I don't post as I would be too scared or embarrassing myself or ignored. This one is different, despite the world-wide audience. It's friendly. Members are amusing, entertaining, challenging and generous. No way would I have agreed to meet anyone from the other forums, but with this forum I've had no hesitation. I feel at home here.

We've all got different personalities but this brings different perspectives into play. We challenge each other and push each other and we are there for each other. There's never a dull moment, there's always something different, something unexpected. Sound familiar? Perhaps we just mirror the environment that we love so much.

For me it's trip planning, first, last and always.

I pretty much agree with everything saraf says, only I don't participate in any other forum.

I think the trip reports are the forum's most valuable, and possibly unique, resource. I have planned both longer and more frequent visits because of the "inspiration" of passionate and beautifully illustrated trip reports that provide a wealth of detailed information, and the enthusiasm of the reports' writers for their subject.

Almost equally valuable are the sections that provide information about and help with ID of birds, animals and plants. While much information is also available on specialist websites elsewhere, having excellent pix and detailed field notes of (almost) all the animals and birds (and even lots of trees and plants) that you're likely to encounter is a wonderful resource. One of the great values of this forum is that it's very much a "one-stop" destination, where you can find pretty much all the parks-related information you'll need and more!

Being able to ask questions of members who visit these parks often, and who not infrequently were there last week or last month, is an amazing resource. And the friendliness of members and their willingness to share information may be unique amongst such communities.

To me these are the important areas of the forum. I also think it's important to be able to discuss controvertial issues relating to conservation and to park management, but I am personally tired of beating the dead horse of speeding and rule breaking, since I've seen absolutely no evidence (except in KTP) of any positive steps being taken to combat these growing problems.

Personally, I have no interest in chit chat, polls, or the caption competions that took over the quizzes section for so long that I just stopped going there. There are plenty of social networking websites and it would appear that many members spend all their time in chit chat I used to enjoy the webcam threads, and I still look at the actual cams if I'm on line, but I rarely look at that forum, because there are so few really interesting/unusual sighting posted; rather, there still seems to be a competion amongst regulars there to make the most posts, no matter how mundane. I also find the "insisted upon" format for posting webcam pix very difficult to page through, so I just skip it

Currently, I have serious issues with with new rules for posting pix in trip reports as I feel that the most valuable content on the forum is at risk of being seriously diminished and compromised. In my opinion, the trip reports are the forum's most valuable resource. While they may provide "entertainment" for members, their far greater value is the scope of information they provide to those who will read them six months, or even six years, from now. In my opinion, anything that lessens the depth and breadth of trip report content is a huge, inexcusable mistake. Thus, if these new rules stand, I will no longer be making the considerable effort required to contribute trip reports to this forum.

I am a bit confused about the above statement. What new rules ???? I am about to start my Addo trip report and I need to find out about the "new rules" Up till now I have not had a problem with posting photos or videos.

What do I get out of the forum...that is difficult to explain. It is my daily fix in life. It started like most people...looking for information and advice on planning trips. Then attempting a trip report or two and then....friendship and sharing your passions with like minded people. I have thoroughly enjoyed our
Cape Town meets and Addo meets. It is wonderful to meet with people and be able to talk about your experiences in the Parks. My other friends ( bless them) probably run a mile when they see me coming back from KTP...not another lion story...they say!!!! One can even seen the look of boredom on their faces, so now I don't bother. I save my stories for the forum and meets

So to this wonderful forum and all the moderators (without exception!) that work so hard to keep this forum functionoing so well, thank you for being there and listening yet again to another lion story

Hi Michele,

Here are the links to the amended rule and guidelines:

Amendment to Rule # 9

New guidelines for posting photos on the forum

Where else can you insult people and get away with it.
Where else can you talk rubbish and rev others up
Where else can.... no I don't do that on purpose - it just happens sometime.

What I have REALLY got out of the forum is a relationship with similar minded people regarding the SANP in particular and conservation in general, who have become friends, either still via these postings, or face to face. I am amazed at the warmth with which I am greeted by people I meet either for the first time or again.

The information I have received has also been very useful from time to time.

Thank you for being my friend.

Thanks Dinkybird...I can live with that. It makes sense I suppose....it must be very irritating for some people if pages don't load quickly. Thanks for the detailed instructions, Mods .



and @ BB......you and I are friends ???? What happened ??? Are you just being nice because you want to come to my meet
on the 30th Nov ??? Jokes aside everybody...this is exactly what I mean about the forum. Strangers become friends ....I just love the banter , jokes and teasing that happens on the sidelines