Director : Kristal Maze

Kristal joined the South African National Biodiversity Institute in 2003 as the Director of Biodiversity Programmes, Policy and Planning. Her portfolio covers spatial biodiversity planning from national to local scales, in terrestrial, marine, freshwater and estuarine environments; biodiversity information management; co-ordination of bioregional programmes; and supporting national policy development. She has a strong interest in engaging production sectors in biodiversity management, and has worked extensively with the mining sector in South Africa and internationally on the development and implementation of good practices for biodiversity management. Kristal also led South Africa 's first National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment, a key component of the NBSAP.

Before joining the NBI, she worked for the Botanical Society of South Africa as director of its Conservation Unit. In that position, Kristal was instrumental in designing the multi-million dollar SKEP and CAPE bio-regional programmes, and provided leadership to components of those programmes. Under her directorship, the unit established several key pilot projects, including Cape Flats Nature – empowering urban communities to participate in natural resource management – and Putting Plans to Work – mainstreaming biodiversity into local government decision-making.

Kristal has a Masters in Botany from the University of Cape Town .

Beyond her career interests, she has a great love for the outdoors, exploring the rich natural and cultural heritage of southern Africa , hiking, rock climbing, surfing and cooking.

Bioregional Projects Officer : Tammy Smith

Tammy Smith graduated from Rhodes University in 2003 with a PhD in Entomology. She moved to Pretoria and worked on the Southern African Botanical Diversity Network (SABONET) project based at SANBI. In 2004 she joined the Directorate of Biodiversity Programmes, Policy and Planning at SANBI as the Bioregional Projects Officer. She is responsible for co-ordinating the annual Biodiversity Planning and Implementation Forum and is involved in the National Grasslands Biodiversity Initiative.

Administrator : Tsholo Jacobs

Tsholo Jacobs obtained her Diploma in Business Management form Eastside College in 1999. She then worked for Nare Construction as a personal assistant to the director. She joined SANBI as the administrator for the Biodiversity, Programmes, Policy and Planning Directorate as well as for the Threatened Species Programme in September 2004. She is responsible for administration and organising workshops.

Programme Manager : Wendy Foden

Wendy Foden completed her BSc in Botany and Zoology from Wits University in 1996 and then went on to obtain her Honours degree in Botany from the University of Cape Town . She then worked in the UK in customer services and database development. In 2000 she worked as a Scientific Advisor with the Cambridge Mpingo Project in Tanzania and traveled extensively. She completed her MSc in Conservation Biology (Cum Laude) in 2002. Wendy worked with SANBI's Climate Change Group on the biodiversity impacts of climate change, specifically of Aloe dichotoma in the Northern Cape and Namibia . Her passion for conservation stems from her love of wild and remote places.

Red List Scientists : Janine Victor and Deshni Pillay

Janine Victor obtained her B.Sc. in Botany and Microbiology from Rhodes University in 1991. She then went on to do her Honours degree in Botany in 1992. In 1993, she obtained her Higher Diploma in Journalism also from Rhodes University . During this time she worked as a part time research assistant, where she gained experience in ecology, taxonomy and herbarium work. She started working at the National Herbarium, Pretoria , in April 1993, with responsibilities such as the curation of Apocynaceae (incl. Asclepiadoideae & Periplocoideae), Rutaceae and Apiaceae. During this time, she obtained her MSc in Botany (Plant Systematics) from the University of Pretoria in 1997.

She is currently the National Co-ordinator of the South African Red Data List project. In collaboration with various specialists, the aim of this project is to re-assess and evaluate all South African rare and endangered plant species according to the IUCN (1994) categories and criteria for the publication of an updated Red List.

Red List Officers : Fahiema Daniels and Leigh Potter

Fahiema Daniels finished her undergraduate degree in Environmental and Geographical Science and Ecology from the University of Cape Town in 2003. She then completed an honours degree in Botany (Plant Ecology) in 2004, which included a 16-week course through Duke University , in which she became familiar with various aspects of Savannah Ecology in the Kruger National Park . One of her honours projects was ecology based, investigating the use of stable isotopes in determining the dietary compostion of small mammals. Her second project was phycological, involving the diversity and salinity tolerances of macroalgae in the Bot River Estuary. She is currently the Red List Assistant in the Threatened Species Programme.

Leigh Potter has always had an interest in biodiversity and environmental issues. She completed her BSc in Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Cape Town in 2001. She went on to do her Honours in Zoology also at the University of Cape Town, with her projects involving a Morphometric analysis of the Rock Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus , as well as a dietary analysis of the Cape Clawless Otter, Ayonx capensis. She recently completed her Masters degree in Conservation Biology at the University of Cape Town , with her dissertation involving the Latitudinal Life-history patterns of the Barn Owl, Tyto alba affinis , and it's potential role as an agent of Biocontrol for the Cape Gerbil , Tatera afra , in wheat fields in the Western Cape.

She is currently working on the South African Red Data List project as a Red Data List Assistant, in the TSP Programme.

Bioregional Programmes Co-ordinator: Mandy Cadman
Mandy joined SANBI in 2003 as Bioregional Programmes Co-ordinator for the Eastern Cape. She is responsible for establishing, maintaining and managing an effective Eastern Cape Co-ordination Unit, the main purpose of which is to co-ordinate, integrate, monitor and review bioregional programmes and projects in the region (incorporating CAPE, STEP, SKEP and other developing programmes in the Province). In particular, Mandy is required to develop and initiate the implementation phase of STEP.

Mandy completed her BSC, BSc (Hons) and MSc (Botany) at the then University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg, before moving to Wits University in 1988. There, she completed her PhD part-time (graduating in 1993) whilst working as a lecturer and ultimately a senior lecturer in the Departments of Botany and Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences. She taught undergraduate classes at first, second and third year levels and supervised several postgraduate students in the fields of systematics, taxonomy, biogeography, reproductive ecology, phlyogeny, evolutionary biology and biodiversity science. She lead her own research programme involving collaborators from both the US and UK, conducted extensive fieldwork and made regular research visits to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London .

In 2001 she left Wits and worked for a number of environmental NGOs, during which time she developed her strong interest in integrating biodiversity conservation with community involvement and upliftment.

Beyond her professional interests, Mandy has a great love for the outdoors and spending time in wild places, the creative arts (including painting, botanical illustration in pen-and-ink, and creating designs incorporating symbology from different cultures), beadwork (including designing and making jewellery), music, reading, gardening and spending time with her daughter and partner.

Project Developer: Tracy Cumming
Tracey Cumming obtained her BSc degree in Economics and Environmental Science at Rhodes University in 2001, and went on to obtain her Honours degree in Environmental Management at UCT in 2002.

After working as a research assistant for Mafa Environment and Development during 2003, she began her MSc in Environmental Science at Rhodes University.

She is currently the Project Developer in SANBI's Eastern Cape Bioregional Programmes Co-ordination Unit, where her main focus is on facilitating community-based conservation projects within the Thicket Biome.

Senior Administrative Officer: Michelle Myles
Michelle Myles completed her BA in Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of South Africa in 2001. She is currently completing her Honours in Heritage Studies through the University of the Witwatersrand.

She joined SANBI in March of 2005 as an administrator and one of her duties includes updating of the database containing all biodiversity projects in the Eastern Cape.

She enjoys horse-riding and the outdoors.

GIS/Conservation Planning Manager: Mathieu Rouget

Assistant Conservation Planner: Zuziwe Jonas