During April 2013, we were excited to welcome three new staff and one long term volunteer on the Nature’s Valley Trust team! The purpose of this blog is to introduce them all to you, and to let you know where they come from and what they are going to get up to with us.
In terms of staff, we welcomed Babalwa Mqokeli, Matome Mamodumo and Mulatedzi Mulaudzi. We also welcomed Tonya Cockcroft Sammon as a long term volunteer.
Babalwa joins us for the next 18 months as a Masters level intern in our research department, funded through the WWF-SA and Nedbank Green Trust. Babalwa says this about herself: “My name is Babalwa Mqokeli, I was born in Bizana, Eastern Cape, and at the age of eight I moved to Durban. I attended primary and high school in Durban. My love for biology directed me to the field of natural science; the study of life and finding out why things happen the way they do interested me. I studied at the University of Zululand where I obtained a BSc degree in Biological Science. I’ve obtained an honours and masters degree in Ecological Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. My research projects involved assessing water quality in an estuary using macro-invertebrates, and determining aspects of digestion and physiology in fruit bats. Field work and research have contributed strongly to my passion for nature conservation. Wildlife plays an essential role in the ecological and biological processes significant to life and it is therefore important to maintain and enhance wildlife conservation.” For the next year and a half, Babalwa will work closely with Mark on our research programs, especially the extension of the Tsitsikamma Rivers Project, and the Tsitsikamma Fynbos Research Program.
Matome and Mulatedzi join us for the next 12 months as NRF funded Environmental Education interns working with Cindy-Lee. Matome says about himself: “I am Matome Mamodumo and was born at Botlokwa Mphakane which is situated about 45km from far north of Polokwane City in Limpopo. I studied BSc environmental science at University of Limpopo and now am doing part time studies with Unisa in BSc honours of Environmental Management. My passion for environment started when there was a major crisis of floods and the disturbance of natural vegetation by humans. I wanted to inform the community about the implementation of environmental regulation and awareness programmes.” Matome is currently overseeing our Adopt-a-beach program, and working in our eco-clubs.
Mulatedzi says of herself: “I am Mulatedzi Mulaudzi, and was born in 1979 August 22 at Tshikuwi village in Makhado municipality,Limpopo province. I have completed my Bachelor of Environmental Sciences degree in 2012 at the University of Venda. I am now in a 12 months internship program with Nature’s valley Trust. My passion on the environmental field was due to the increase of environmental problems in our country, some of the environmental problems are the results of anthropogenic activities therefore I would like to come up with strategies to minimise those problems by educating the community about the importance of the natural environment and how we as the community can interfere with the functioning of the natural environment.” Mulatedzi is currently spearheading our Adopt-a-river program, and working in our eco-clubs.
The three excited interns have settled well after their first month and a half in the office and the field. They are adding great momentum to the work we do at the Nature’s Valley Trust, and we are so glad to have them on board! You can check out our Facebook page to see what they have been up to lately! At the Nature’s Valley Trust, we are excited to partner with organisations like WWF-SA and the NRF (National Research Foundation) on their important internship programs. Not only does it add capacity to NGO’s like ourselves, but it plays an essential role in mentoring and providing opportunities for the up and coming conservation leaders of tomorrow.
Tonya joins us as a volunteer fundraiser at a crucial time! With our expanding work program, and some project funding ending later this year, Tonya has high hopes (and so do we!) of using her experience to help us raise some much needed core and project funding. Tonya says of herself: “I am a new volunteer with NVT. I am assisting with developing fundraising initiatives for the NVT. I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and my Doctorate of Pharmacy from the USA, where I resided for almost 15 years. I have a lifelong passion for sciences and the environment, and having grown up along the Garden Route, finding somewhere like the NVT to volunteer was a perfect fit for me.
During my time as a marine biology student, I was lucky enough to spend a semester in Guam, which is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There, I was a research assistant in several projects there, and became well acquainted with the marine life of the Pacific. I also obtained my scuba instructor’s license there, and learned the skills of technical diving. One of my dives included a 300 foot (100 metre) deep dive at the Marianas Trench, where on that day I was lucky to witness several large shark species along the way. I also spent 9 years working for Blackbaud, Inc., a software provider to nonprofit organizations, which enabled the nonprofits to streamline their fundraising efforts.”
We are grateful to Tonya for the time she is putting in helping us in our important fundraising efforts. Her passion and commitment, along with her experience, is sure to help us land some additional funding this year to keep our programs running. Her initial aim is to submit several funding proposals for our Environmental Education Program, whose funding runs out later this year. Anyone wanting to help us fund this important work can now do so online – click here!
We are sure you will join us in welcoming these four new faces to the Nature’s Valley Trust team!