Dr. Olivier Maurin
I was born in Chene-Bougeries, Switzerland. My interested in plants started very early; growing a wide range of them from cuttings and seeds in my room at home. I received an engineering degree in horticulture in 2000 at Lullier, Geneva and it was during these years where my passion for plants really developed. In 2001 I accepted a position at the famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where I was involved in a study of Coffea and a large-scale phylogeny of monocots. While at Kew I had the opportunity to be part of two plant collecting expeditions, one in Cameroon and the second in Madagascar. This is something I was dreaming of for many years. I left Kew in 2006 to start a full-time PhD at the University of Johannesburg mostly because I was promised to be involved in lots of fieldwork in southern Africa. Whilst completing my PhD I became actively involved in several international DNA barcoding initiatives and offered advanced training to researchers and students from Africa, striving to become involved in DNA barcoding. I conducted several field excursions during thepast four years collecting plants in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. I received my PhD in 2010 and have now accepted a three-year IRDC-iBOL postdoctoral fellowship based at UJ where I play a lead role in overseeing day-to-day activities on plant DNA barcoding.
Prof. Michelle van der Bank
I grew up with a love for biodiversity, my father was a naturalist and I spend a large amount of my childhood in a small village in Namibia close to nature. I used to collect everything (except spiders because I have a fear of them) until a point where I was told we have no more space. I started my career as a zoologist working on Trichodina, tiny parasites within the bladders of frogs. I then found a position at the Botany department at the University of the Witwatersrand and this is where everything started. I decided to continue my PhD in Botany and not Zoology. In 1996 I accepted a junior lecturing position at the old RAU University. Currently I am appointed as an associate professor in the department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology at UJ where I am involved in under and postgraduate teaching and several capacity building projects in Africa. For me personally there is nothing more rewarding than working with young people pursuing them to take up a career in science. My job also takes me to beautiful places and I meet very interesting people – a real privilege.Bruce Kyalangalilwa
Jephris Gere
Ledile Mankga
Agricultural Research Council to become a research technician (2009). In 2010 she started her MSc studies at the University of Johannesburg working on DNA barcoding of medicinal plants.
Mark Cooper
Christian Deschodt works for the past 8 years as research assistant in the Dung Beetle Research Unit at the University of Pretoria. The Dung Beetle Research Unit specialise in the certifying of dung beetle friendly dips and the certification of natural grazing using dung beetles as indicators. Christian's primary interest is classical and molecular taxonomy of the "primitive" dung beetle groups, especially in Namakwaland and the drier parts of Southern-Africa. He is presently part-time busy with a masters degree in which the distribution and relationships of a flightless group of dung beetles in Namakwaland are studied. Christian's hobbies are beekeeping and insect photography.
http://www.dungbeetlesforafrica.org/
http://www.up.ac.za/zoology/staff.php?person=187
Esther van der Westhuizen
Esther van der Westhuizen is the co-owner of Butterfly World, an Insectarium and Tropical Garden near Paarl. Married to Eugene and has one son, Daniel (now 12).After graduating with an M.Sc. in Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, she lectured at the Department of Zoology of the University of the Westerbn Cape for 9 years, from 1986 – 1994
Opened Butterfly World in 1996, with partner, her mother, Matty Pretorius. Researched, planned and executed new business from the start.
Travelled extensively from forests in Malaysia to outback of Australia, from Kakamega rain forest in Kenya to Sonoran desert in Arizona & Mexico, visited numerous butterfly parks and zoos all over the world, especially in Europe.
One of the founding directors of the International Congress of Butterfly Exhibitors and Suppliers
Currently on the Executive Committee of the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria
One of the Presenters of Afrikaans TV program GROEN, on Kyknet. Focus on insects, arachnids and small mammals.
Presented papers on Butterfly World (education, insect husbandry, business) at various international conferences including Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa (Nairobi 1997, South Africa annually), International Congress for Butterfly Exhibitors and Suppliers (Miami, USA 1998, Cape Town SA 1999, Malaysia 2000, Italy 2004), International Insects in Captivity Conference (Arizona USA 2007), African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (annually)
Participated in insect surveys with curator A K Brinkmann of J Ball insect collection.
Consultant for various butterfly parks (Barbados, Nairobi, Pretoria, Plettenberg Bay) and currently invited to be part of the Bernard Harrison and Friends zoo design team.
Arnold van der Westhuizen
Birding has always been a passion and as a citizen scientist he is involved in several of the ADU projects. His participation in SABAP2 led to his attending of the 12th PAOC at Goudini Spa in September 2008, and there his interest in the role played by citizen scientists in ADU projects was kindled.
Arnold is registered for a PhD with the Department of Historical Studies (UCT). His research project will focus on the history of the ADU and how biodiversity atlasing evolved from a single project (SABAP1) to the current variety of projects within the ADU. The contribution of citizen scientists to the success of the ADU as a research unit will be evaluated.
Arnold has a regular birding column in the Aliwal Weekly and Barkly East Reporter and contributes popular articles to SAKABULA (quarterly of BirdLife Free State). He is a registered bird ringer and works closely with Dawie de Swardt (Ornithologist: National Museum, Bloemfontein) on several research projects in the Free State and northern Eastern Cape. Arnold has presented several SABAP2 workshops to recruit and train atlasers.
Prof. Herman van der Bank
Herman obtained his B.Sc. in 1982, B.Sc-Honours in 1983 and M.Sc. in 1984, was junior lecturer (1985-1986), and studied part time (obtained his doctorate, 1988). He was promoted (lecturer 1987–1990, senior lector until 1997, associate professor until 2004 and then professor). He completed 6 certificate courses and passed Information Technology I-III cum laude. He was external examiner and moderator for undergraduate courses at two colleges, one university and one technicon, evaluated M.Sc. dissertations and Ph.D. theses for 4 universities, and research publications for 5 national and 16 international journals on a regular basis. He granted interviews for 4 national television programs and one radio program, is a member of 10 professional national societies, director of a international institute, and member of the editorial advisory board of an international journal. He is author/co-author of 130 research publications (74% international), and presented 22 international (5 as invited guest speaker) and 49 national conference contributions. 23 M.Sc. (one received the Junior Captain Scott Medal for best national dissertation) and 7 Ph.D. students graduated under his guidance. Three of his formerly students are associate professors, two senior lecturers, one was the Head of the Fish and Reptile Research at the Parks Board and one was the Head of the Freshwater Fish Nature Conservation (Namibia). He is NRF rated.
Dr. Richard Greenfield
Hi my name is Dr Richard Greenfield. I am the technician at the University of Johannesburg, Department of Zoology. I specialize in conducting field sampling trips and collect samples for various projects held within the department. Currently some of the work I am participating in includes, fish and macro invertebrate studies on the Levhuvhu and Olifants rivers in the Kruger National Park, Stable isotope analysis or comparisons of the diets of tiger fish of the Pongola River system, Pongola dam and the Levhuvhu and Olifants River systems and I am also involved in the iBol project. I collect samples for bar-coding on most of my sampling trips in an effort to assist in increasing the number of species sampled but also to provide comparative data for the species in the different systems and distribution studies. I am very pleased to be given the chance to get involved in such an excellent initiative and am looking forward to the adventure.
Erin Corstorphine
I joined the DNA barcoding team in March of 2007 as a lab technician at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (BIO) at the University of Guelph in Canada. This experience, along with my growing interest in DNA barcoding, led me to pursue a masters degree with Dr. Paul Hebert which focused on DNA barcoding of the Echinodermata of Canada (sea stars, sea urchins and their kin). Following the completion of my MSc in April 2010 I joined the International Barcode of Life Project as the co-ordinator for barcoding projects in South Africa. I am very excited about this role, as I am working with a keen group of researchers and have the opportunity to apply my knowledge of DNA barcoding while learning about the diverse flora and fauna of South Africa. The trip to South Africa and the chance to participate in the Toyota Enviro Outreach is definitely a highlight! Prior to joining the barcoding initiative, I received a BSc in Ecology at the University of Guelph, a BEd from Trent University (Canada) and spent time working as a high school science teacher in Canada and New Zealand.
Renier Balt
Renier Balt is an engineer by training and project manager by profession with a passion for conservation and birdlife. Through exposure to environmental issues whilst involved in satellite imagery projects, the plight of mother earth and the challenge to conserve biodiversity was obvious; this led to the conviction that taking individual responsibility for environmental matters is not negotiable, and should become a way of life.
Since the start of the present SABAP2 project, he completed close to 300 surveys all over South Africa, which means effectively covering 19600 square kms and he continues to contribute as citizen scientist to this important cause. Through participation in Conservation Outreach 2010 the birding team will add many more surveys whilst gathering DNA samples.
Annelise le Roux
A cancelled botanical trip to Namaqualand in Annelise’s honours year more than 30 years ago, lead to a holiday with a fellow student -- they wanted to see this wonderland they missed the previous year. They became curious about this spring flowering veld in the unusual landscapes, geology and climate and wanted to understand what makes this area so different. They enrolled for MSc at Pretoria University and the fascination is still there, for both Gretel, now professor in botany at the University of Pretoria, and Annelise, now working at CapeNature as a specialist scientist, still return every year to learn more about the plants and nature in general. Many naturalists have joined them in studying nature in this fascinating area, resulting in expanded knowledge of the Namaqualand plants and conservation actions in the last 30 years. This Toyota Enviro Outreach will further the knowledge and conservation of the unique flora of Namaqualand and she is excited about the opportunity to learn more about and share knowledge with the team.
Marius Burger
Marius completed a National Diploma in Nature Conservation in 1990. From 1987 to 1989 he worked for the Cape Department of Nature Conservation in Reserve Management and District Services. Following that, until 1997, he continued working for the Cape Department of Nature Conservation as a research technician in Scientific Support Services. He was the National Coordinator of the Southern African Frog Atlas Project (SAFAP) from 1997 to 2003, based at the ADU. Currently he is the Project Herpetologist for the Southern African Reptile Conservation Assessment (SARCA), which is a partnership between the ADU and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). In addition, he works as an environmental consultant and conducts natural history tours.
Dr. Masha Kuzmina
I graduated from St-Petersburg State University in 1986. After finishing my PhD I started working at the Komarov Botanical Institute (St.-Petersburg, Russia) as an independent researcher. I worked in the Herbarium (LE), one of the biggest collections of the dry plants in the world (Impressive not only because of the size of the collection, but also the outstanding number of type specimens from famous botanists and travellers from the XIX century). My research was focused on taxonomic treatments of different groups of flowering plants, mainly the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliacea), and pinks (Dianthus, Caryophyllaceae). I participated in expeditions to the Far East, Kamchatka, Caucasus, and different places of European Russia, including the White and Bering seas.
In 2004 I moved to Canada with my family as a professional immigrant. My first place of work was at the University of Toronto, in the Plant Systematics and Molecular Evolution laboratory of professor Sasa Stefanovic. I started a postdoctoral position at BIO (Guelph) in 2008 where I am involved in build an effective system of plant DNA barcoding using a multiple gene approach and high throughput technology. Currently I monitor projects from Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Australia, and many other countries. During two years of hard work and successful collaboration with Michelle and Olivier, we built the ‘tree of life’ for the trees and shrubs of the Kruger National Park, and created at least ‘the roots’ for South Africa’s tree of life. There has been a lot of work done, and there is still way more that we looking forward to achieve.
Dr. Richard Greenfield
Erin Corstorphine
Renier Balt
Since the start of the present SABAP2 project, he completed close to 300 surveys all over South Africa, which means effectively covering 19600 square kms and he continues to contribute as citizen scientist to this important cause. Through participation in Conservation Outreach 2010 the birding team will add many more surveys whilst gathering DNA samples.
Annelise le Roux
Marius Burger
Dr. Masha Kuzmina
In 2004 I moved to Canada with my family as a professional immigrant. My first place of work was at the University of Toronto, in the Plant Systematics and Molecular Evolution laboratory of professor Sasa Stefanovic. I started a postdoctoral position at BIO (Guelph) in 2008 where I am involved in build an effective system of plant DNA barcoding using a multiple gene approach and high throughput technology. Currently I monitor projects from Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Australia, and many other countries. During two years of hard work and successful collaboration with Michelle and Olivier, we built the ‘tree of life’ for the trees and shrubs of the Kruger National Park, and created at least ‘the roots’ for South Africa’s tree of life. There has been a lot of work done, and there is still way more that we looking forward to achieve.
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