Meet our international interns

Pamela joins us from Paraguay, South America. She is a wildlife veterinarian, involved in the health management of hummingbirds, veterinary medical research and educating the community about pollinator roles in the environment.

She is interested in building connections around the world between research, wildlife and the community to make inter-discipline pollinator conservation.

Currently, her research focus is understanding more about fynbos habitat and in particular sunbird and sugarbird convergent evolution with hummingbirds. This is the perfect opportunity for her to learn more about this topic, and at the same time make inter-discipline connections.

Born and raised in Birmingham, UK, Jez has always been fascinated by nature. Despite completing an unrelated degree (BA German Studies), and working in an unrelated field (Anti-Money Laundering) in Frankfurt, Germany, he continues to spend most of his free time in the great outdoors: birding, bouldering, biking or hiking.

Jez joins NVT for three months and will assist the Team with the bird monitoring element of its Forest Programme – being an avid birder and having experience of volunteering on similar monitoring projects with Naturschutzbund Deutschland.

During his stay in Nature’s Valley, Jez hopes to get a better understanding of what working in the conservation sector entails, gain hands-on experience, contribute to scientific research, make lots of happy memories, and spot many beautiful lifers!

Sophie understands that the ocean plays a huge role in the quality of life on land and is passionate about helping and preserving the marine ecosystem. She hopes to develop her knowledge on the topics of sustainability, environment, waste management and education and to apply her skills with NVT in meaningful ways.

Outside of school and work, Sophie can be found pursuing adventure through rock climbing, cycling, and camping.

Milen joins the NVT Team from Toronto, Canada. She has just finished her second year of study at York University as an International Development major, alongside a certificate in Black Canadian Studies. 

Aurore is a marine ecology student from Reunion Island (France). She’s interning at NVT as part of her masters and hoping to get quality field experience. She’s mainly working on mapping tracking data of boats, dolphins and whales as part of the boat-based whale-watching (BBWW) tourism industry assessment project. But she is looking forward to learn more about all ongoing projects at NVT!

Aurore is particularly interested in relationships between people and nature. She wishes to find ways to help sustain local communities while preserving the environment (especially threatened species), which includes managing ecotourism, fisheries, and many other activities. Which is why working at NVT is a wonderful opportunity for her!

Benedict comes to us following a three-month internship in Limpopo, where he worked on a Big Five game reserve. He is also a qualified zoologist with a BSc. Hons. degree from the University of Manchester, UK. Benedict is experienced working with and studying animals, having volunteered with the Manchester Museum herpetological collection, undertaken ecology and behaviour field courses both in South Africa and Costa Rica, in addition to having worked in wildlife parks, farming sectors and animals orphanages.

During his time here Benedict is keen to get stuck in with all projects and test the water as to life working in the field in the conservation industry. Alongside helping out with projects for the Trust, he hopes to build up his portfolio in wildlife photography and filmmaking. His time here with NVT will serve as invaluable experience and a great opportunity for him to decide upon the next step in his career.

Anna holds a Bachelor with Honours Degree from York University in Toronto, Canada in English & Professional Writing and is hoping to bridge the gap between environmental scientists & researchers and the general public through effective communication and creative non-fiction writing.

After spending 10+ years in administrative roles that were as far as can be from conservation work she has decided to make a complete career change towards preserving our nature, environment and future. Through volunteering on wildlife reserves and sanctuaries in Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa, she has learned of the biggest threats that conservation faces and is now very much looking forward to the internship at NVT where she will continue to add to her skills and knowledge in the hopes of making a difference.

Clarisse comes from France and has just graduated from the University of Liège (Belgium), where she achieved an Organism Biology and Ecology Master’s degree. Conservation and behavioural ecology are her main fields of interest. She loves observing the different interactions around us and tries to understand them. It was the primates who opened her interest in conservation and today, she wishes to be able to make a difference, whatever the species concerned.

Before looking for a job in the conservation sector, she wanted to carry out a volunteer mission as well as expand her experience in the field. While at NVT, she hopes to meet new people, learn about other cultures and gain hands-on experience in conservation by getting involved in as many projects as possible and having the fullest experience. Being involved for 3 months will allow her to gain valuable experience that she will use in her future job.

Ide Uitentuis is currently studying environmental engineering at ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Science; Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften) in Zurich, Switzerland. As a part of his study, which requires him to do an internship aboard, he is joining the NVT team for three months. He is eager to learn more about the conservation work that NVT is doing in and around Nature’s Valley and Plettenberg Bay. Doing investigations of inter- and intraspecific interactions and of the behavior of animals as well as observing wildlife in their natural habitats and the interplay of flora and fauna is Ide’s passion. His goal for the internship is to support the team in all their areas of activity and to put a special focus on the ongoing shorebird project.

Samuel is a biology student from Gothenburg University in Sweden. His focus lies on how to integrate biology and society, with greener cities, conservation programs and reformative and sustainable solutions for companies. Being raised by the water of the Baltic Sea, Samuel has seen the devastating effects societies can have on ecological communities and is eager to make a change!

Amanda is a recent Conservation Biology graduate from Exeter University in the United Kingdom. Ecology is her main field of interest and since carrying out a research project involving bees, her passion for insects and plants grew. Educating communities on how to sustainably use local resources as well as the importance each individual species has on the ecosystem is something she hopes to achieve in her future.

With plans to carry out a Master’s by Research after she finishes her travels around the world, Amanda hopes taking part in the Nature’s Valley Trust volunteering programme will help her find out exactly what she’s passionate about and wants to research, whether it is plastics, insects, marine animals or birds, the programme will allow her to gain experience in all of those fields.

Daniël is a 19-year-old student from the Netherlands that is very interested in ecology, and more specifically the conservation sector. He has just started his second year of Coastal and Marine Management for which he’s doing his internship with Nature’s Valley Trust. Daniël gained experience in fieldwork by assisting in NVT’s sustainable marine tourism project, and he got a clearer idea of what he wants to do further in his career.

Jappe started out his second year of Coastal and Marine Management gaining field experience with us. His passion lies in conservation and ecological research which fits perfectly with the NVT marine team. Having come all the way from The Netherlands he has been keen on getting as much experience as possible.

The main project he worked on was research on sustainable whale and dolphin tourism, however, whenever he could he got involved with all the other ongoing projects within both the marine and the main teams.

Being with us for 2 months he has not only gained an amazing experience but also an idea of what he wants to do later on in life.

Josefine Bethke is a bachelor’s student in Environmental Science at the Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg, Germany entering her 3^rd year. Since her volunteer year in the Wadden Sea, birds and their conservation have been her main interest.

She is especially looking forward to helping with the shorebird research and joining the NVT’s bird ringing project. Josefine is also keen on learning about the different habitats and species the Valley provides and assisting the NVT in protecting it.

Lisa Stalknecht is 22 years old and a student from the Netherlands where she study Applied Science of Biology at the Aeres University. She has always had a passion for nature and especially plants. In the Netherlands, she has a side job at an consultancy/research agency where she currently does bat research and later would like to become an ecologist there.

During her time at the NVT, she will be participating in all projects to get the ‘full NVT experience’. She is most keen on the flower walks and might do some work on the local mushrooms while she is with NVT.

But to be honest I like everything if it means I can work outside.

Her time at the NVT will be her first adventure in another continent and she is looking forward to joining the NVT for the next two months.

Faye Hudson is a Geography and Natural Hazards student from Coventry University in the UK. She is currently on a placement year volunteering with various conservation projects around the world. Having completed three months in New Zealand as a conservation volunteer, and three months in Ecuador volunteering on a private nature reserve, Faye has found herself with NVT for her final three months working alongside the team in Nature’s Valley.

She is looking forward to working with the team, meeting new people and gaining hands-on experience of conservation and education by getting involved in as many projects as she can whilst with the NVT before heading back to the UK to finish her degree.

Elizabeth Choi joins us from York University – Glendon Campus, situated in Toronto, Canada. She is currently finishing up her Honours degree with a double major in International Studies and Environmental & Health Studies.

With past experience in South Africa through a term-long exchange program done at the University of Cape Town, Elizabeth has built her continuing passion for environmental conservation through a South African perspective. Her focus on marine debris alongside awareness and education will be further explored during her stay with NVT. Her ongoing passion for researching better solutions for a cleaner world will be closely incorporated into her fieldwork. She is delighted with her three-month stay and hopes to fulfil her tasks and project by understanding through a localized perspective the promotion, education and advocacy towards a sustainable lifestyle. Elizabeth is eagerly excited for what her future holds with NVT!

Craig has always enjoyed the outdoors; he grew up on a farm in England with a love for nature. He is keen to learn more about nature, plants and animals, how to conserve and look after the environment. A google search lead him to NVT, to a place he felt would meet all his needs in terms of conservation and awareness programmes. Craig had a fantastic two weeks, which he soon realised was way too little time spent in this amazing part of South Africa.

Saskia Schmöle studies coastal and marine management at the Van Hall Larenstein University in the Netherlands. With a passion for the ocean and marine life, Saskia even moved from Germany to the Netherlands to study what she loves.

Because of her passion, Saskia is placed with the marine team of Natur’s Valley Trust but is eager to take every opportunity to get involved in other projects as well. This is the second mandatory internship she has to complete for her studies.

Saskia loves being outdoors and in nature and enjoys her many hours spent watching dolphins and whales.

Elelwani finished her undergraduate degree in Animal, Plants and Environmental science (APES) and Geology at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2017. She believes taking courses with a focus in conservation, landscape and fresh water ecology and sustainability allowed her to strengthen her passion for the environment. Elelwani enjoys the great outdoors, being around nature while adding to her knowledge of the environment. She recently (2018) finished her BSc Honours degree in Ecology where she focused on research, GIS, sustainability and climate change.

Elelwani hopes to bridge the gap between studying and work-experience in these six months she will be with the trust. She is looking forward to taking up a research project of her own and getting involve in the various work the trust does, which includes but not limited to Conservation education, Shorebirds and Marine debris project.

Caitlin joins us from Sydney Australia. At the end of 2016, she completed her BSc. in Environment majoring in Environmental Management and Biology. Caitlin loves learning about the environment surrounding her, and especially learning about how ecosystems work as a whole; from the biggest mammal to the smallest invertebrate.

Caitlin’s interest in ecosystems lead her to a three-month internship in the Limpopo province, working on a Big 5 Game Reserve. While she thoroughly enjoyed her time there, she decided to trade the bushveld for the marine environment, to follow what she is truly passionate about.

Caitlin has a deep love and appreciation for the watery world, from marine to freshwater to estuaries, she loves it all. Caitlin is most looking forward to learning about the rocky shores and larger mammal behaviour patterns and can’t wait to continue her internship with NVT.

Rí Galway, has come to us from Ireland. Rí studied wildlife biology at Institute Technology Tralee and is currently on a gap year to explore the working life of a conservationist and the range of work available.

Rí has spent the last 3 months in the region of Limpopo on a big 5 reserve and is now spending another 3 months along the coast here with NVT. He hopes to get a large range of experience with as much diversity as possible. Currently Rí has gotten an interest in community work, focusing mainly on the environmental education side.

Rí hopes to return to university after another few months of volunteering in conservation so that he can make a more insightful decision into his career path.

Talya Honor comes to us from Cape Town, South Africa. Talya graduated with a degree in Politics and Sociology at the University of Cape Town but soon realised a passion for teaching and has been teaching English overseas and Environmental Education in SA for the past 8 years. Talya is also incredibly passionate about the environmental and conservation and is eager to learn as much as possible as an Education Intern with NVT!

Rose joins NVT from the UK where she has spent the last year working for a conservation trust. Her previous experience mostly comprised of grass and woodland ecology so moving to Natures Valley is a great new challenge. She has aspirations to go to university in the future to study conservation or sustainability and hopes to work out exactly what path to pursue later. Currently she is excited to get involved with the marine debris project as at home she has spent a lot of time in advocacy and campaigning against disposable plastics.

Olivia is 22 years old and from Lexington, VA. She recently graduated from James Madison University with a BSc. in Geographic Science, concentrating in Environmental Conservation, Sustainability, and Development. She has always enjoyed being in nature but other hobbies include rugby, soccer, and hiking. Olivia is passionate about environmental conservation and excited to participate in fieldwork and get hands on experience! 

Megan is a 21-year-old from Wales. She has recently completed her degree in Zoology with Climate Change from Bangor University and will be starting her Masters studying freshwater ecology in September. Megan is passionate about research and monitoring for conservation. She joined the NVT team for a short period of 4 weeks and is excited to gain some hands-on experience in Nature’s Valley.  

Sabrina is an 18-year-old from Austria and Argentina. She came to NVT due to her interest in conservation and ecology. She plans to attend university in September to study environmental sciences and economics. With the help of the trust, she was able to gain first-hand experience and attain knowledge from all the staff and interns. She thoroughly enjoyed her 3-week stay and hopes that next time she is able to stay longer. She met wonderful people, who welcomed her and treated her like she was part of the team, even though she is 18 years old. Sabrina learned all about marine conservation, bird ringing, and how to work in a team.

It’s gone by so quickly! I don’t want to leave! Just look at the view.

Christina joins us from Toronto, Canada, where she developed an interest in sustainable development in urbanizing areas. Over time her interest in sustainable development expanded beyond cities as she learned more about vulnerable locations that rely on their ecosystems – especially coastal populations. She is eager to learn more about the ins and outs of what it takes to work in an environmental NPO and is excited to join NVT in assisting with the marine debris project.

Christina just finished her fourth year at York University where she studies International Development, specializing in environmental studies and migration studies, along with a minor in Mathematics. She hopes her passion for social justice and science will allow her to make a positive contribution to conservation research.

Leandro is from Toronto, Canada, joining us for a 3-month internship. He completed his 3rd year at York University where is pursing an Honours B.A. in psychology. He loves anything to do with nature and animals, and he saw this as great chance to work with them overseas. Leandro will be helping us with the Environmental Education program and all other current projects. He is very curious and eager to learn about everything NVT does. Leandro knows he will end up working with alternative medicine, even though the path forward is not quite clear yet. He is deeply curious about humans and their capability to heal themselves. He believes we all have a wealth of resources within ourselves to heal and understand who we are. He affirms that our connection to nature is a very important piece to improving our overall well-being. He is beyond excited to be here, and extremely grateful, because this experience will help him grow and put into practice what he advocates.

Yannick is from Zurich, Switzerland and joined us for a 3-month internship. He is currently in the last year of his BSc. degree in Natural Resource Sciences with a specialization in nature management at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. He also did a minor in field ornithology last year and is stoked to get some practical experience with birds, which he’ll hopefully use for future projects back at home. After completing his BSc. he would like to do an MSc in Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management and gain further knowledge.

I will be assisting on NVTs Coastal Impact Program for three months and hope to make a valuable contribution to the important work NVT is doing to preserve the coastal ecosystems in the area.

Hayley is an accountant from Toronto, Canada. She’s always been passionate about the ocean and environment and studied Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph for 2.5 years but due to her location (being far from any coast) she changed degrees and pursued accounting as a career. Two years at a desk job for someone who has a love for the outdoors, along with a quarter-life crisis: it was an equation that resulted in some big life changes such as going abroad, trying something new and getting some experience in conservation (NVT). After her [amazing] time with NVT, she will be moving to the West coast of Canada – BC – to be with the ocean.

Her end goal is to find a way to merge her financial background along with conservation. 🙂 And of course, save the oceans…

Natasha is a 19-year-old from near Winchester in England. She is currently in her Gap year and has been travelling since September when she started on the west coast of Scotland. Since December, Natasha has been in South Africa, taking in as many sights and experiences as she can, as well as reconnecting with her family here – she’s half South African you see, but this is her first ever visit to the country! Aside from academia, Natasha thoroughly enjoys spending her time listening to and playing music – as she sings and plays the saxophone – dancing, swimming and generally exercising, spending time with her friends, family and dogs, baking, writing and reading about life. Natasha plans to start University in September to study ‘Human Ecology’, and as part of her time in South Africa, felt it was a good idea to immerse herself in some of the Ecology and conservation of the country to give her a head start with her studies.

In total my time here will have been 6 weeks, but honestly I didn’t anticipate how fast it would fly by. In my last weeks here I am very much looking forward to spending time with the wonderful people of the Trust, immersing myself in the wonderful work that’s taking place here and will forever hold NVT and the awesome work that it does, very close to my heart.

Aidan holds a Master’s degree in Freshwater ecology from the University of Johannesburg. She came down from Johannesburg to have a break from her desk job and gain some hands-on experience in working for a NGO. Aidan is passionate about conservation, research and monitoring and spent three weeks in the Valley working on the Trusts coastal impact and fynbos research programmes. 

Claire joined us from the UK after completing her MSc. in Conservation and Biodiversity at the University of Exeter. She has been fascinated and passionate about marine ecology and conservation her whole life, but after working with Blue Tits for her Masters thesis project she realised that she also wanted birds to play a role in her future conservation career – which was why an internship position at NVT was so perfect for her! As a Coastal intern, she has been able to combine her two passions, by helping with the Shorebird Project alongside other marine conservation initiatives such as the Marine Debris Project, and it didn’t hurt that the internship also meant she got to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world for 6 months! Once her internship is complete, Claire hopes to continue building her conservation career in South Africa, as she’s not quite ready to let go of the country just yet!

Sabine studied in Brussels, Belgium, where she obtained an MSc. in Ecology and Biodiversity. After travelling to Zambia for her thesis project, she really wanted to explore more of the African continent and live and work abroad for a while. She really enjoys lots of outdoor work as well as data analysis. Joining NVT as an ecological research intern, she combined her travel dream with doing just that.

I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to do this internship. The plenty of fieldwork on a variety of projects really gave me hands-on experience that will be of great advantage for the rest of my career. By helping with the holiday programme and school camps I also discovered that I find working on environmental education quite interesting too, as I enjoyed it more than I originally thought I would! The things you learn about yourself when you do stuff you wouldn’t normally do!

Alexandra joins NVT from Toronto, Canada. She just finished her fourth year at York University, where she is completing a B.Ed. as well as a B.A. in English and French Studies, with the aim of becoming a teacher. She found out about this position through her university, which funds an internship programme to give its students experience living and working abroad.  Although she does not have a scientific background, Alexandra is eager to learn and develop her skills.  She will mainly be assisting with Environmental Education initiatives – and any other projects she can get her hands on! Once these three months are over, Alexandra will be back in Toronto to complete her final year of school. She knows that this experience will give her more knowledge to bring into her future classroom and deepen her appreciation for the hard work that conservationists do. 

Mo Langmuir joined the NVT team as a short-term volunteer for two weeks. Mo comes from the UK and is currently busy with her degree in Biology conservation at the University of Nottingham. While she was with NVT she played an amazing role in helping with our recycling and swop shop project with Kurland community. 

Madison Foltz is from Greenfield, Ohio. She is a second-year student at Ohio University studying English. She has been passionate about wildlife and getting people involved and interested in conservation for a long time. For these reasons, she pursued a volunteer opportunity with NVT, for six weeks, through Ohio University’s Cutler Scholars Program.

I’m excited about this opportunity to get hands-on experiences in a totally new place. Eventually, I hope to complete a minor in environmental science with my degree and write for a conservation-oriented publication or journal.

Zoé joins us all the way from Canada’s Capital: Ottawa. She has just completed the first year of her degree in Psychology at York University. As a matter of fact, she found this position through her university’s global internship programme, which gives students the opportunity to experience living and working abroad. Zoé will be a member of our research team assisting with our Coastal Programme, in particular, the marine debris project. Similar to most 19-year-olds, Zoé hasn’t quite decided on a specific career path, so she’s keen to participate in different opportunities with the hope of developing not only her work-related research skills but also her personal growth.

Zoé hopes that the exceptional experience and knowledge gained while here at NVT kick starts her international life journey. Seeing as she plans to study abroad somewhere in Europe for her third year of studies, South Africa won’t be the last time her passport gets an International stamp!

Pascal is the first Swiss intern at Nature’s Valley Trust. He lives in a German-speaking part of Switzerland and studies nature management at the University of Applied Sciences of Zurich. After his three months as an intern with NVT, he will be attending some final courses before he will write his Bachelor’s thesis and complete a minor in Ornithology.

Pascal is working on the Mosquito Fish Project to get a better understanding of the impact invasive species have on the beautiful Groot River Estuary and its inhabitants. If negative impacts by the mosquito fish are observed through Pascal’s analysis of our three-year dataset, we hope that the study will inform a management plan. The overarching aim would be to reduce the impact of the Mosquito fish to preserve the estuary in all its beauty and diversity.

Joy is a 22-year-old Animal Management student from the Netherlands. She hails from Groningen, which according to her is ‘the best city for Dutch students to live in!’

She is currently in her third year of studies which requires her to complete a five-month internship. Her time with NVT will be her first internship experience abroad, although she has been in South Africa before (2013). Her future plans, after completing her current degree are to work for or manage her own wildlife sanctuary in Africa. She believes that an involved and proactive community is important and essential for any successful conservation programme and would love to add an element of environmental education to her sanctuary.

During my internship at NVT, I want to help plant seeds of conservation ethics. I hope I’ll get to know the local communities and see how NVT promotes an aware community.

Mark was born and raised in the city of Leeuwarden, also known as the capital of water technology in the Netherlands. With this background, he decided to study Integrated Coastal Zone Management at Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences.

A bit tired of living in the same city for his whole life, he made up his mind and wanted to go abroad for his last internship. After some research, he ended up on the other side of the world, here with the Trust! He will be assisting with our Coastal Programmes, with a specific focus on the Fishing Impacts project for the next five months.

Mark is keen on gaining experience in field work and developing his skillset in order to be prepared for his professional career in the fisheries sector.

Taylor comes to Nature’s Valley from Denver, Colorado in the United States. She studied Conservation Biology and Ecology as an undergraduate at Montana State University. After graduating in May 2016, she decided to use the rest of the year to gain valuable work experience before starting her Master’s degree. The internship with NVT provided an exciting opportunity to gain fieldwork and other research experience, along with an insight into the inner workings of a conservation organization. These opportunities, combined with the chance to travel to a new part of the world were something Taylor just couldn’t say no to, and she looks forward to everything these next three months will bring.

Aurora grew up in rural Illinois, USA, where she discovered her passion for conservation. She spent her time as an undergrad at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul in Minnesota studying Biology and Psychology. There, Aurora also monitored local water quality and conducted research on woodpecker predation of the emerald ash borer in local forests. After receiving her BSc in December of 2016,  she spent time with her family before joining the NVT Shorebird team in January. After her time with NVT, she will be pursuing her Master’s Degree in Applied Conservation and Ecology at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK. Aurora’s greatest loves are woodpeckers, prairies, and Lake Superior.

Harry is a prospective engineering student at the University of Cape Town with a deep passion for marine ecosystems. He came to NVT as a volunteer to gain first-hand experience in marine conservation. He was welcomed warmly into the family and fitted in well being the youngest of the volunteers at just 18.

He came down from Johannesburg to help volunteer for a 4-week break before the start of university. In his four weeks, he has done: bird ringing, raptor ringing, mosquitofishing and and took part in NVT’s quarterly Groot River fish survey.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the NVT and the people who make up the small but impressive backbone of this NGO, it was definitely an amazing experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone with a passion for marine conservation. I intend to come back and help further, once I have finished my degree.

Jesse received his BSc in Biogeoscience from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2015. While at university, Jesse became interested in ornithology and has since been doing seasonal avian fieldwork. He worked with large macaws in Peru and conducted avian point counts in Iowa before joining Nature’s Valley Trust. He plans on conducting point counts in the Southern Great Plains upon returning to the USA.

Andrea grew up on a farm in Canada, where she spent her spare time outdoors developing a strong passion for the environment. After completing a degree in Renewable Resource Management, Andrea decided to go adventuring in Australia, Vietnam and New Zealand. While traveling, she held numerous roles as a tour guide, but longed for something more. Andrea has now settled into Nature’s Valley for six months, where she hopes to kick start a career in conservation.

South African born Christina always dreamt about becoming a marine biologist. So when she finalized her degree while growing up in Portugal and returned 20 years later to what she has endlessly considered home, she found that she had a passion for conservation/rehabilitation, in particular, of seabirds, which came about when she completed a very educational and fulfilling internship at SANCCOB assisting in the rehabilitation of various seabirds and hand-rearing of African penguins. She so thoroughly enjoyed her time working on seabirds that she searched for something similar but different enough to keep her engaged, which brought her to Nature’s Valley Trust and the plight of the White-fronted Plover.

Amber Hatch grew up in South East London and attended university in Cambridge to gain a degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare. After university, she worked as an Animal Technician in Cambridge and then landed a job as an Ecological Field assistant working in the Scottish Uplands. It was here that her love of fieldwork bloomed and she began really showing an interest in conservation research. She’s always had a keen interest in birds so when the epic chance to get involved with the White-fronted Plover project arose, she jumped at the chance.

Carissa joins us from Canada, one of the two Canadians on the 2016/17 shorebird team. Having studied conservation biology as a part of her undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta, she is very keen to assist in learning more about the decline in population of the White-fronted Plovers, and what can be done to help them out! Carissa grew up spending much of her time outdoors, which has helped foster her love of nature and all that is in it. To this day she remains an adventure seeker, so when the opportunity to come to South Africa arose, it was too good to pass up. When you see her around the valley, do not hesitate to say hi!

Becky is a biology student at the University of York with a particular interest in ecology. She spent four weeks with NVT to get first-hand experience of conservation in action, and because of her interest in practical application of scientific research.

Sara Jean Banks joins us from Denver, Colorado.  She currently serves as a science teacher for a secondary school and also serves as a guest lecturer for the University of Colorado.  She has earned both a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver.

Her passion has always been with science but realized early on that she had a knack for working with kids of all age levels and backgrounds.  It made sense to incorporate these two into a perfect union with teaching! As an early child, she had always dreamed of coming to Southern Africa to see the wildlife and experience the different cultures.  She finally made this dream come true.  She is a firm believer in learning and interacting with locals wherever she travels.  She searched for an organisation that would put up with her, let her learn about their work and cultures and also participate in fieldwork that she could hopefully incorporate into her own course curriculums back home. Nature’s Valley fit quite nicely!

Ben is a high school student originally from England, but currently living in Dexter, Michigan. He has always been interested in nature and enjoys birding, photography, and soccer. He volunteered at NVT to gain a better understanding of what conservation work is like, and will take a biology related field in university. 

Madeleine Pienaar is a third-year Conservation Ecology student at Stellenbosch University. Madeleine and her friend, Megan, came to volunteer at NVT and get some first-hand experience in the conservation field. Being a science student and having an interest in nature and sustainability, the Nature’s Valley Trust seemed like an amazing place to spend three weeks with Madeleine.

I generally try to not have expectations, but whatever remained lurking was completely exceeded. Thank you for all the insights, experiences and good vibes. 

Megan McCarthy is from Cape Town where she is currently in ther third year of Conservation Ecology at Stellenbosch University. She found out about the Trust through a UCT professor she met while on a field trip about the Battle of Blaauwberg Hill. When she leaves she goes back to her studies and from there she has no set plans but hope to end up in the Valley again one day!

During her time in Nature’s Valley, she worked on the educational side of Nature’s Valley Trust.

Working with the local community was really special. The children are so kind and interested! Working with Cindy was inspiring!

Besides working on the educational programs she also did research. She hopes to get a job working with environmental issues. This experience also helped her in getting more direction in life.

For me this was a great time where I could really develop myself!’

Matthew is an 18-year-old from Scotland who volunteered with the trust (for 5 weeks) during his year off between school and university. During his time with the trust he was involved in a range of projects, including organising holiday programme activities, monitoring beach usage and heading the initial stages of camera trap surveys – documenting the presence of animals in and around the Valley. In September Matthew will return to Scotland to begin studying Ecology at Edinburgh University, where the experience and knowledge he gained at NVT will no doubt give him a head start!

Audrey Bonk is from Chanhassen, Minnesota in the United States. She studied animal ecology at Iowa State University. During her time as an undergraduate, she fell in love with birds and has made it her passion to become a leading ornithologist. Audrey joined NVT as an intern working on the Shorebird Project.

In 6 months time I hope to accomplish writing and publishing a paper about white-fronted plovers.

Jennifer joins us from the UK and graduated from the University of Sussex where she studied, er… English Literature and Film! She’s worked in the tourism industry for nearly 8 years in all sorts of different roles including sales, accounting, sustainability and product management. Jennifer is passionate about sustainable travel and using tourism to benefit the people and places that need it most while causing as little harm as possible. She also drinks a LOT of tea

Chloe is a zoology graduate, from the UK, joining the Nature’s Valley Trust to gain knowledge and experience working with shorebirds. She also worked with the environmental education director to gain experience in community engagement and education. Chloe has particularly enjoyed meeting staff members and volunteers with a similar enthusiasm for nature conservation. 

Alex comes from the coastal peninsula of Cape Cod Massachusetts where she developed a passion for coastal ecosystems and the species that inhabit them. She has focused her studies and work experiences on shorebirds in the United States and is very excited to work with a new species of plover, the White-fronted Plover, here with Nature’s Valley Trust.  She had a great time getting to know the beautiful beaches of the area and adding new birds to her life list!  

Kirsten was a Seabird Ecologist, working for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee in Aberdeen, Scotland. At home, she is mostly involved in work in marine seabird protection areas around the UK. To get a break from her desk work, and because she planned to take part in the World Seabird Conference 2015 in Cape Town, she decided to make the long journey really worthwhile by adding some fieldwork with the Trust to her trip. She spent two weeks in the Valley, where she happily engaged in all kinds of activities, with or without birds.

Julia is a graduate from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She came to Nature’s Valley to gain some field experience, but spends most of her time working in the social media space as she realised she doesn’t like long grass (snakes…). Some of her highlights have been participating in mist netting and finding some plover chicks on the beach! 

Twan Slagter hails from the Netherlands where he attends Van Hall-Larenstein University of Applied Sciences. He is here as part of a 5-month internship for a Coastal and Marine Management course. Twan has always been passionate about nature and the conservation of it. He also enjoys the coastal environment and is happy to be part of the White-fronted Plover research, which will allow him ample time on the beach

Craig Midgley has an MSc degree in Fisheries Science from Rhodes University. He spent the last year working at SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) rehabilitating African penguins and other marine birds. He has a passion for the coastal and marine environment and the associated fauna which landed him on the shores of NVT. He will be assisting one of our Coastal projects, for three months, focussing on the White-fronted Plover. Craig hopes to broaden his conservation skill set to allow him to pursue a career in fisheries and/or ornithology.

Sam worked in the corporate world of logistics and training for 20 years before she decided to take a career break and take some time out. She was looking for a volunteering organisation to spend a couple of months with to gain a clearer perspective on her future. Nature’s Valley Trust was recommended to her by another volunteering agency as a place she should consider.

Since arriving at the Trust she has been exposed to all aspects of the research, development and educational programmes. With her training background, she tended to lean towards the educational aspect of NVT and found a niche in designing and structuring training for the Adopt-a-Beach programme.  Being passionate about marine conservation she took the opportunity to explore and document the abundance of life found in the Nature’s Valley rocky shores.

Ukyoung is a student at Duke University, in North Carolina, USA, studying Biology. She first fell in love with South Africa when she studied abroad through OTS (Organization for Tropical Studies) for a semester, and not wanting to leave the motherland, contacted NVT about the internship opportunity. During her stay at Nature’s Valley, her main focus was a research project on the effects of bird exclusion cages (large and small mesh size) on the bee visitation rate of Kniphofia uvaria. She also worked on a bird themed environmental education booklet to assist with outdoor classrooms.

Karen joined the NVT team for a two-week period in May 2015. She comes from Texas, in the USA. She has a BA in Recreational Management, and Social Studies and has a background in working in campground management (Parks and Recreation). Karen was doing a round-the-world trip to gain knowledge and experience in the conservation field and stopped off at NVT to assist us before she moved on to explore the conservation sector a bit more, elsewhere.

Robin did his internship with the Nature’s Valley Trust as a part of the Bachelor’s course: Integrated Coastal Zone Management, which he is completing at Van Hall Larenstein, Netherlands. This course consists of two internships abroad of five months each. After doing the first one, in Slovenia, with a focus primarily on labwork, he decided that he wanted to gain some experience in the field and venture outside of Europe. With the internship with the NVT, these two were combined perfectly, with a project titled: The spatial distribution of beach litter and beach visitors on Nature’s Valley Beach, South Africa.

Robin describes his times at NVT as: ‘some of the best months of my life, gaining experience in so much more than I could have hoped for. I met some great people and made some greater friends, making it an experience I will always remember!

Megan was a Nature Conservation student from CPUT who won a weeks stay on our volunteer programme on Birdlife SA’s seabird quest competition.

Megan said: ‘I really enjoyed the exposure I got when participating in NVT’s research programmes.’

Felix was a student from the Netherlands doing an internship with NVT in the completion of his bachelor’s degree in Integrated Coastal Zone Management at Van Hall Larenstein. For Felix, this internship was his first big journey into another continent. The first four months he spent based in Nature’s Valley, he experienced it out of peak season with empty beaches and so much space. He also had the opportunity to stay in Plettenberg Bay for a month, experiencing the difference between the solitude of empty beaches and a bit of “city life” in Plett. For his research project, he interviewed fishermen on the beaches and collect data concerning litter, catches and attitudes of anglers, enabling the Trust to assess the ecological impact of shore-based fisheries. This was the perfect internship for Felix as he is an absolute outdoors person. He was out on the beach for hours doing research but even in his downtime could not keep away from the splendour of the coastline. His research took place in 3 beautiful sections along the famous Garden Route coastline, each completely different.

Felix reflecting on his time here: ‘What I liked most I think was the way the internship was set up from the Trust’s side, it was not just taking part and helping out but I had my own project where I had to take full responsibility for and I really worked as part of a team taking part in all other projects.

Ella works in Integrated Coastal Management for the provincial government of the Northern Cape. She spent two week in December 2014 helping us facilitate our holiday programme.

Sunette was a BSc Zoology student from Rhodes University. Sunette not only participated in fieldwork for our research programmes but was a valuable asset for our December holiday programme.

Elrea Appelgryn joined the NVT team, as a volunteer, after completing her MSc in Genetics at the University of Pretoria. She wanted to experience something different to her own, predominantly laboratory-based research and everyday life in Pretoria, as well as take an important break before starting her PhD.

During her six weeks in Nature’s Valley she was surrounded by many passionate conservationists – strengthening the notion of appreciating and protecting our natural environment, she had in her mind. She strongly states:

It is important that every person does their part, whether it involves working in conservation full-time as a researcher, spreading the message through education, being involved in formulating or implementing policy, or at the very least just supporting great organizations dedicated to preserving our natural heritage.

Katie hails from the University of Sheffield in the UK, where she is majoring in Zoology. She volunteered with NVT for two months to increase her practical field skills as well as quench her thirst for travel and sightseeing.

Katie has a strong interest in insects and spent most of her afternoons identifying macro-invertebrates from the Groot River estuary as a contribution to the macro-invertebrate project NVT runs. Her ID skills increased dramatically and, we were later told, helped her tremendously with a project she had scheduled for her final year of study.

Katie reports on another side of the NVT experience:

I have learnt a great deal about some of the social and cultural issues present in South Africa, which I think are important to understand when working in this field. By staying in a house with the NVT interns, I have had the pleasure of discovering a whole new culture through listening to their stories and spending time with them. I feel like I’ve made a new group of life-long friends, and I will miss them all significantly.

Olivia has a background in environmental politics and communication and wanted to gain practical skills in conservation while with NVT.

She believes the most valuable part of her stay at NVT was watching, observing and learning how to run an NPO. She has learned a lot about managing an NPO and the difficulties a small organisation like this faces.

I’m not only leaving with practical skills in conservation and NGO management, but also with increased self-confidence and another family in South Africa.

Kellyn Whitehead began her journey with NVT in March 2014 as a volunteer. She volunteered for a year and during this time worked with the research team. She did her BSc undergrad and BSc Honours in Biodiversity and Ecology through the University of Stellenbosch. Kellyn started the phenology work within the fynbos documenting the flowering times of the plant species as well as identifying what plants are in the Nature’s Valley area. She also helped with environmental education and community.

Michelle was a BSc Zoology student from Rhodes University. Apart from spending time conducting fieldwork on various research programmes, she played a key role in helping us facilitate the December 2013 holiday programme. Having loved her time volunteering with us so much, Michelle returned to Nature’s Valley in 2014 to collect data for her BSc. Honours project on the baboon-human interaction in Nature’s Valley.

Shirley joined us for a 5-month period in fulfilment of her BSc degree in Coastal Zone management as part of the requirements of Van Hall Larenstein. Her main focus while at NVT was research-related; she monitored the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on African Black Oystercatchers and Kelp Gull breeding success. Her projects covered Robberg Nature Reserve and Keurbooms Nature Reserve. The sites at Robberg had the highest egg predation rate; 67% of eggs laid (over 5 nests) were predated. To test for the effects of human disturbance on birds, she observed their reaction to human beach-goers as well as measured the minimum distance she could get to birds before they were disturbed off the nests. Another aspect of the project looked at how long it took birds to return to the nest and continue brooding. The two species showed a marked difference in their return times. Gulls returned very quickly, while the oystercatchers took far more time to return – taking care to ensure that the location of the nest was as concealed as possible. This is due to different nest protection strategies: the oystercatcher protects its nest through camouflage and distraction while the gull protects its nest through aggression and intimidation.

Eliska was a PhD student from the University of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. She arrived at NVT in July and stayed for 6 weeks – gaining field experience, while working on Erica discolor as part of the Tsitsikamma Fynbos Research Programme.