About Us and Our Mission

The Origins of African Conservation Experience

African Conservation Experience was established 1999 by Rob and Marion Harris, with the main objectives being to provide enthusiastic people with the opportunity to experience wildlife and conservation in southern Africa; and to finance conservation projects in southern Africa through self funding volunteers. In our 10 years of operation, ACE has established itself as a reputable organiser of conservation placements on projects in southern Africa with over 3000 volunteers having visited more than 15 conservation projects. It is now one of the most experienced UK organisations placing volunteers on conservation projects in southern Africa.

Read Our Mission

Supporting Conservation and Giving Back to Africa

Supporting conservation is at our core, and our commitment to the local communities and environments we work with is a vital component of what we do. As an organisation we support and sponsor various conservation and community initiatives in southern Africa, part of which as a volunteer you are helping to fund. Read about our current sponsored conservation and community groups.

The ACE Team

We have a dedicated team both based in the office and on the ground in southern Africa, including trained zoologists, marine biologists and conservationists well placed to assess the impact of our work. We place great importance on getting to know each and every volunteer and on providing you with a strong support structure throughout your placement.

Responsible Travel with ACE

We ensure our projects are of real conservation value and make a positive, worthwhile contribution to the wildlife and ecosystems of southern Africa. Our excellent reputation means we are often approached to support new projects - we aim to get involved in conservation programmes that we know would not run financially without us, maximising the impact of our resources. Read our full Responsible Travel Policy, including our social, economic and environmental commitment.