The Steering committee
Ian Rushworth
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
Ian is an ecologist and conservation biologist with skills and experience in protected area management. Have been involved in developing and implementing many priority species conservation plans, and have a particular interest in invasion biology. Chair of the Lead Task Team, which aims to ensure that wildlife in South Africa is not harmed by exposure to lead (Pb). Member of the IUCN SSC Conservation Genetics Specialist Group, World Commission on Protected Areas, and IUCN Green List assessor.
Yvette Ehlers Smith
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
Yvette is the regional ecologist for South-Eastern KwaZulu-Natal at Ezemvelo KZN Wildllife and a honorary research fellow at the Centre for Functional Biodiversity at the School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal. My current research entails ‘an assessment of the effects of land-use and climate change on the avian, mammalian and plant functional and taxonomic communities in KwaZulu-Natal province.
Craig Mulqueeny
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
Dr Kerushka Pillay
Endangered Wildlife Trust
Kerushka is an ecologist and conservation scientist with a passion for biodiversity conservation and evidence-based environmental management. She has worked across a range of conservation initiatives in South Africa, contributing to species conservation assessments, ecological research, capacity development, training and scientific communication. As a Senior Science Officer at the Endangered Wildlife Trust, her work focuses on applying scientific knowledge to inform conservation action, support policy and decision-making, and strengthen environmental stewardship. She is particularly interested in bridging the gap between science and practice to achieve meaningful and sustainable conservation outcomes.
Dr Sebataolo Rahlao
Oceanographic Research Institute
Sebataolo is an ecologist with a PhD in Conservation Ecology and over a decade of experience leading multidisciplinary research teams focused on biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable development.
My passion lies in turning science into action—generating and synthesizing knowledge that supports evidence-based policy and decision-making. While I hold senior leadership roles with administrative and strategic responsibilities, I remain deeply involved in research, lecturing, publishing, and postgraduate supervision, ensuring science remains relevant to policy and practice. I am equally committed to developing human capital, having mentored interns, early-career scientists, and postgraduate students across several institutions.
Dr Sonja Krüger
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
I am an ecologist working closely with protected area managers to address biodiversity conservation issues. I coordinate the bilateral Bearded Vulture Recovery Programme aimed at conserving the Critically Endangered southern African Bearded Vulture population. I am a member of the IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group and Otter Specialist Group. I have a special interest in Wilderness management and use, and am a member of the IUCN WCPA Wilderness Specialist Group and World Trails Network.
Dr Andy Blackmore
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
Andy has a PhD in Environmental Law from Tilburg University in the Netherlands (2018), a Master of Science in Ecology University from the Witwatersrand (1992), Master of Laws (Environmental Law) cum laude from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg (2005) and a Diploma in Multilateral Agreements University of Finland (2011). Andrew is a Research Associate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and an extraordinary Senior Lecturer at the University of the North West and is a registered Professional Natural Scientist in conservation science. He holds the position of Manager: Conservation Planning at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, South Africa. Previously he was the Regional Ecologist for the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park (now iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site). He has a combined experience of 30 years in conservation and wildlife research and management advice and 15 years’ experience in environmental, wildlife and conservation law advice and assessment.
Dr Reece Alberts
North-West University – Protected Areas Research Group
Tembisa Jordaan
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
A storyteller, scientist, and conservationist, Tembisa is passionate about science communication and people-centred conservation. This passion drives a continual pursuit of innovative and effective ways to communicate the importance of sustainable socio-economic development and meaningful inclusion within the biodiversity sector.
In 2020, Tembisa produced and directed the natural history short film Ulwandle Lushile, which captures a day in the life of traditional marine fishers harvesting mussels in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The film highlights African examples of sustainable solutions that successfully balance biodiversity conservation with social and economic development.
Tembisa currently serves as Manager: Biodiversity Economy & Stewardship at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. In this role, they facilitate the alignment of stewardship sites owned by previously disadvantaged individuals and communities with opportunities available through biodiversity economy initiatives. This support enables landowners and communities to establish and manage profitable biodiversity-based enterprises while receiving ongoing management assistance following site proclamation. By securing conservation-compatible land use and strengthening investment opportunities, this work contributes to both national and international conservation targets.
A key focus area is the Umfolozi Biodiversity Economy Node in KwaZulu-Natal, which serves as a national pilot for the implementation of South Africa’s National Biodiversity Economy Strategy. Lessons learned through the development and rollout of the node have informed an adaptive approach to biodiversity economy implementation across the country. The initiative promotes meaningful partnerships, cooperative governance, and transformation within the biodiversity sector by supporting black individuals and communities to become successful business owners and active participants in the biodiversity economy.
Brent Coverdale
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
Over 20 years of experience in Biodiversity Conservation Management and Natural Resource use, stakeholder engagement and conservation research.
• Passionate about resource use reduction and sustainable use
• Strong background in Biodiversity conservation and resource management
• Proven skills in law enforcement, stakeholder engagement, environmental auditing, research and resource management.
• Demonstrated ability to manage staff, implement projects and meet deadlines, working both independently and within a team environment
• Provincial Conservation awards in 2004 and 2011
Dominic Wieners
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
Dominic is a conservation planner with over 18 years of experience working at the interface of biodiversity, land-use planning, and environmental decision-making.
His work focuses on assessing and responding to development pressures outside formally protected areas—where the most critical and complex biodiversity decisions are often made. I specialise in environmental impact assessment (EIA) review, biodiversity offsets, and the application of spatial data to support defensible, science-based outcomes.
He has contributed to provincial and national processes relating to vegetation mapping, offset frameworks, and conservation planning, and regularly engage in policy and technical forums representing Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. My approach emphasises strengthening the mitigation hierarchy—particularly the avoidance of impacts on sensitive ecosystems—while advancing practical, implementable solutions within real-world development constraints.
With a background in Grassland Science and experience lecturing in land-use planning, he brings both technical depth and systems thinking to conservation challenges. He is particularly interested in improving how spatial tools, data, and policy frameworks can be integrated to support consistent, defensible environmental decisions across scales, from site-level assessments to large-scale infrastructure planning.
Zabentungwa Hlongwane
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Zabentungwa is a biology lecturer with broad interests in ecology, entomology, and entomophagy. She holds an MSc and a PhD in Ecological Sciences. Her research includes the distribution of arthropods in different habitats, the use of edible insects as a source of food, and plant-animal interactions in grassland ecosystems. In addition, her research on entomophagy involved working with rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces, South Africa to find solutions on how to use edible insects to supplement household food security and improve rural livelihoods. Zabentungwa has attended over 10 national and international conferences and her research has been published in various peer-reviewed journals.