Delegates

Richard Sowry

Richard Sowry has been attached to SANParks since 1997 and is currently stationed as a Section Ranger stationed at Kingfisherspruit. Richard holds an Honours degree in Wildlife Management He worked for CC Africa from 1995 to 1997 and as part of present responsibility is the overseeing of 2 concessions within the borders KNP, bringing with it extensive knowledge of the implementation of sustainable luxury Eco-Tourism products.

Theresa Sowry

Theresa Sowry is the Executive Manager for Training at the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), one of her major responsibilities is identifying the training needs within Conservation Areas across the SADC Region. This includes Field Ranger and Management orientated Training. The Peace Parks Foundation has adopted the SAWC as their official Training.

Bryan Havemann

Bryan is the National Director of Conservation for WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa). WESSA is a membership-based environmental organization that promotes public participation in caring for the Earth. Bryan also is the Chairman of the National Committee of the IUCN in South Africa and Regional Chairman of the (GRAA) Game Rangers Association in Kwa-Zulu Natal. He is a trustee and founder member of CAP (Climate Action Partnership) formed by the top environmental NGO’s in South Africa. Bryan sits on various steering committees including the Mondi Wetlands Programme, Forestry Stewardship Council National Working Group, National Elephant Research Programme and TRAFFIC (the wildlife trade monitoring network) of East and Southern Africa. He worked on a carnivore project and was a Wilderness Trails Ranger and Section Ranger in the Kruger National Park for a period covering 14 years. For over two years he was the general manager and head ranger for Jock Safari Lodge the first concession within the Kruger National Park and also worked as a ranger at Londolozi.

Stephen Midzi

Stephen Midzi is a Section Ranger in the Kruger National Park, based at Vlakteplaas Ranger Post in the northern region of the park. He started his carea as a safari guide in Hwange National Park back in 1998, thereafter he moved to Senuko Safari Lodge in the Save Valley Conservancy and then to Chilo/Mahenye lodges in the Gonarezhou National Park all of which are in Zimbabwe. He completed his Certificate and Diploma in natural resources management at the Southern African Wildlife College in South Africa and completed my B-Tech degree in nature conservation with Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria. Currently he is busy with his Masters degree in nature conservation focusing on human lion conflicts along the western boundary of Kruger National Park north of the Letaba River. He has also been a field co-coordinator at SAWC, a day walk guide at Orpen rest camp in KNP and a Wilderness Trails Ranger based at Nyalaland Wilderness Trail in the far northern region of KNP. His main interests are in exploring the wild and understanding behavior and movement patterns of individual lion prides.

Jennifer Newenham

I have a National & Higher Diploma in Nature Conservation, and a B. Sc. Honours in Zoology. After studying in the Cape and doing some work in the Sabie Sands I started my formal Conservation career with Kangwane Parks as a conservator on Songimvelo Nature Reserve. I subsequently moved to Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, based at Bourke’s Luck Potholes, when the reserve was still part of TPA (Transvaal Provincial Conservation Administration) but went through transformation to become the Mpumalanga Parks Board. At Blyde I was involved in a variety of disciplines: Environmental Education, Research and monitoring, Protected Area Management; Community Development and management of tourism facilities. I then spent over 3 years as the Section Manager at the Swadini component of Blyde Nature Reserve. At this stage apart from the normal reserve management tasks on the section, I became very involved with the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Initiative and was the main compiler of the application to UNESCO. After leaving MPB, I became a researcher on a Rhodes Univ. / WRC (Water Research Commission) Project: “Determining Monitoring Protocol for IFR’s” using the Luvuvhu and Sabie Rivers (inside and outside KNP) as pilot Rivers. Next I was working in Mozambique (San Sebastian Peninsula – promontory of Bazaruto Archipelago) as an onsite co-ordinator and field assistant for a GEF project. After returning to South Africa in 2003 I started my own Conservation Consultancy called Biovista, which involves, amongst other things, a significant amount of freelance work with the SAWC, and continued involvement with the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region.

Michelle van der Bank

Prof Michelle van der Bank is an Associate Professor and head of the Molecular Systematics Laboratory at the University of Johannesburg, Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology. Michelle was nominated as the Tree-BOL representative in Africa and is also part of the CBOL Plant Working Group. She received several prestigious grants and in 2006 was listed as one of the top 20 Women in Research in South Africa. Michelle has authored or co-authored more than 35 peer-review research publications. She works with acknowledge international and national authorities and institutes in the field of Plant DNA barcoding and Molecular Systematics. Her work on DNA barcoding of the flora of the Kruger National Park for conservation has received tremendous media and public attention.

Her academic career started in 1996 when she was appointed lecturer at the University of Johannesburg. Michelle set up the Molecular facility at the University in 2003. This lab quickly became a high-tech molecular facility at the forefront of DNA biodiversity research, which hosted many dozens of students and members of staff from within several departments at UJ and elsewhere. She has brought Molecular Systematics into the mainstream of student training at this university. In 2006 she has also established a DNA bank at UJ for plant material, already housing more than 3,000 DNA samples with valuable collections from the Kruger National Park, and specific collections for Combretaceae, Thymelaeaceae and Acacia from southern Africa.

Olivier Maurin

Olivier Maurin is a French citizen born in Geneva, Switzerland. He received his training in horticulture at Lullier, Geneva. In 2001 he accepted a position at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where he was involved in a molecular phylogenetic study on Coffea/Rubiaceae and a large-scale phylogeny of monocots. While at Kew he was involved in fieldwork in Cameroon and Madagascar. In 2005 he enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Johannesburg on Combretaceae. Olivier is managing the DNA barcoding project in the Kruger National Park and the TreeBOL Africa project. He conducted several field excursions collecting plants in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa and is also involved in training activities in DNA barcoding in Africa.