Women all across the world are doing incredible work for the conservation of wildlife and the environment. We want to celebrate, elevate and support these women who have dedicated their lives to saving the planet and its inhabitants.
Of course, there are many more women (and men) who work in conservation and deserve recognition. We hope to feature them all in time.
In no particular order, here are 14 women or women-led organisations in nature conservation that we admire. You can also get involved and do your bit by sharing this information, creating awareness, volunteering or donating to any of these worthy causes.
1. Petronel Nieuwoudt, Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary
Petronel is the founder and chief executive of Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary in Mpumalanga. Since its inception, Care for Wild has saved the lives of more than 100 rhinos that were the victims of poaching in some form or another. Petronel and her team rehabilitate, re-wild and release these rhinos into protected and healthy ecosystems to ensure the survival of the species. Care for Wild relies heavily on sponsors, like their partnership with Konica Minolta South Africa.
Contact:
013 590 4448
2. Jana Meyer, Hope for Wildlife Helicopter Services
Jana owns Hope for Wildlife Helicopter services based in Hoedspruit. She is passionate about using helicopters in conservation and runs various anti-poaching projects, like flying during rhino darting operations for dehorning. She also works with K9 units and provides helicopter services for counter-poaching simulation exercises. And as if that didn’t keep her busy enough, she and her team conduct aerial game census services, pangolin rescue missions and locating and helping animals caught in snares.
Contact:
083 615 7605
3. The Black Mambas
The Black Mambas anti-poaching unit works tirelessly, in harsh conditions, to protect South Africa’s wildlife. These patrol officers cover about 50 000 hectares of ground within the Balule Nature Reserve that forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park area. The all-female anti-poaching unit is a first for South Africa and was founded in 2013 by Transfrontier Africa NPC. They also educate and uplift communities in the area to foster better human-wildlife relationships.
Contact:
helpingrhinos.org/black-mambas/
4. Theresa Sowry, Southern African Wildlife College
Theresa is the chief executive of the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) in Hoedspruit. The organisation trains thousands of students in conservation each year, empowering South Africans to protect nature and its precious resources. One of their current projects is a free-tracking K9 programme. SAWC partnered with SANParks and a number of donors to test the effectiveness of adding free tracking canines to field ranger teams. They also boast an Airwing Unit, a Dangerous Game Site Guide programme and a Natural Resource Management programme.
Contact:
015 793 7300
5. Esther Matthew, Endangered Wildlife Trust
Esther is a Specialist Conservation Officer for the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Drylands Conservation Programme. She works to promote sustainable land management practices and the formal protection of unique dryland habitats in the Karoo. She has a passion for sharing education and works closely with learners from local schools, running a volunteer project exposing young conservationists to fieldwork in the Karoo. She knows all about the value of dogs in conservation, too – she successfully raised and trained a scent detection dog to locate giant African bullfrogs underground.
Contact:
ewt.org.za/drylands-conservation-programme/
011 372 3600
6. Lindy Sutherland, Kariega Foundation
Lindy is the director of the Kariega Foundation, a non-profit trust working with Kariega Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape to create a sustainable eco-tourism model to protect and preserve the Kariega wilderness. She directs numerous projects and aims to build a conservation community that works collectively to combat threats to the existence of their natural heritage and wild animals. These projects include youth development through environmental education and other programmes, anti-poaching foot patrols, K9 and mounted units, habitat expansion and restoration and numerous research projects. She was the recipient of the 2021 Living Deserts Conservation Hero’s award in recognition of her stellar efforts to conserve rhinos in Africa.
046 636 7904
7. Akashinga
Akashinga is an all-female anti-poaching ranger team protecting the elephants of Zimbabwe. The group works especially to engage the community and decrease violent confrontation with poachers, arresting them with minimal conflict. Well-known as “The Brave Ones” (a translation of akashinga from Shona), these front-line warriors manage large networks of wilderness and form part of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF). There is also a National Geographic short film about them.
Contact:
8. Sally Archibald, Future Ecosystems for Africa
Sally is a professor at the University of Witwatersrand and she works to combat the loss of old-growth grasslands and biodiversity, and researches savanna ecosystems within the context of global climate. One of her collaborative projects, Future Ecosystems for Africa, focuses on ecosystem-based interventions and identifying African ecosystem vulnerabilities. Through this programme, she and her partners are working to drive strategies that enhance the resilience of African ecosystems through research, the protection of the continent’s biodiversity and the implementation of measures like sustainable harvesting.
Contact:
9. Lindy Rodwell van Hasselt
Lindy established the South African Crane Working Group for the conservation of endangered cranes, grasslands and wetlands, a venture that earned her a Whitley Award in 1989 and in 2002, a Rolex Award for Enterprise. The Rolex awards recognise outstanding people undertaking groundbreaking projects that advance human knowledge and well-being. Thanks to this programme, driven by a superb team under the guidance of Kerryn Morrison, all three species of crane found in South Africa – blue, crowned and wattled – are increasing in numbers. Lindy is also the founder of the Nature’s Valley Trust which, 21 years on, plays a key role in conservation in the Garden Route. Her focus today is the Lewis Foundation, a philanthropic trust that funds conservation programmes.
Contact:
ewt.org.za/african-crane-conservation-programme/
082 493 1991
10. Claire Taylor, Two Oceans Aquarium
Claire is the Marine Animal Welfare Specialist at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. She works with the Wildlife Monitoring Programme to mitigate animal-human conflict at the V&A Waterfront but more often than not, can be found in the water, disentangling animals that get themselves in a fix. Her day typically consists of cutting nooses from the necks of seals or rescuing sunfish that get stuck in the dry dock. She and her team also regularly venture out by boat to help injured marine animals and she passionately combats ocean pollution.
Contact:
aquariumfoundation.org.za/marine-wildlife-management/
021 418 3823
11. Judy Mann-Lang, Marine Protected Areas Day
Judy is the driving force behind the establishment of the first official Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Day which was celebrated on 1 August 2021 and was hugely successful again this year. She works passionately to protect South Africa’s 41 MPAs and their inhabitants. Until recently, Judy was the conservation strategist for the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) in Durban. Now she heads up the Strategic Projects department at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation in Cape Town.
Contact:
021 418 3823
12. Paula Kahumbu, WildlifeDirect
Paula is the chief executive of WildlifeDirect in Kenya, an organisation focusing on the protection of elephants. She is also the leader of the Hands Off Our Elephants campaign, combating poaching and engaging the people of Kenya to support the protection of these amazing animals. This project does revolutionary work to enact new legislation, ensuring compliance, transparency and accountability for elephants, ivory and all stages of the judicial chain. Paula didn’t stop there. She is the producer and host of Wildlife Warriors, an award-winning documentary series that shines a light on conservation heroes in Africa. She received a special commendation at the United Nations Person of the Year celebrations for her critical role in mobilising action around the crisis facing elephants in Kenya.
Contact:
13. Monica Mthabine, Conservation South Africa
Monica is the outreach co-ordinator for Conservation South Africa in the Kruger 2 Canyon (K2C) Biosphere, Mpumalanga. A local affiliate of Conservation International, the group is committed to helping society adopt a more sustainable approach to development, one that considers and values nature at every turn. Monica pioneered a Scouts programme to empower young people through a variety of fun, challenging activities and camping. In Thornybush Nature Reserve, Scouts also have opportunities to camp in the protected area where they can see wild animals and learn more about them.
Contact:
021 100 3950
14. Carmen Jordaan, Whole Earth Recycling
An eco-warrior of note, Carmen owns Whole Earth Recycling in Johannesburg, which sorts more than 120 tons of recyclable material every month. Carmen has also started a new business called Whole Earth Organic Farm, offering a food waste collection service, which turns waste food into compost on their organic farm. They have an earthworm farm and an indigenous acacia karroo forest in the pipeline, too, and will be growing a food garden consisting of food-bearing trees. Her passion is to promote sustainability and waste reduction by making recycling easy and accessible to everyone, and diverting as much waste from landfills as possible.
Contact:
011 791 4537
Pictures: Supplied
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