Meet the WWF Nedbank Green Trust
​Emerging Leaders Fellows of 2016

The strategic intent of the WWF Nedbank Green Trust Emerging Leaders Programme is to promote the development of the next tier of diverse environmental leaders. The programme entails identifying 10 suitably qualified mid-career professionals in key environmental institutions in the country. Each group is taken through a year-long leadership development programme in order to hone the leadership skills that are essential for success at higher levels of responsibility. 
Palesa Natasha Mothapo
PhD. Zoology, Invasion Biology, Behaviour Science (Stellenbosch University)
She currently works as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stellenbosch University, and Team Coordinator (InvAfrica) on a collaborative research project funded by the International Foundation for Science (IFS). Her studies focus mainly on the impact of the invasive Argentine Ant in the Cape Floristic Region, but she has broad interests in ecology and management of natural resources. She enjoys sharing science with people and regularly participates in science communication initiatives such as New Voices in Science, Falling Walls, Woordfees and FameLab. She was listed on the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans (2014), and is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. She is passionate about environmental protection and management, and educating people about the environment. 
Heather Terrapon
MA. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (Stellenbosch University)
She manages SANBI’s cross-cutting GIS programme for monitoring and assessment to enable SANBI to meet the monitoring requirements of our mandate. Key current focus areas include spatial data sourcing, creation, management, validation, storage, analysis and presentation.   This includes work to support the understanding and improved use of GIS by SANBI staff with the goal of generating data that can more easily be utilised for biodiversity monitoring and assessment.  The program also strives to pilot innovative approaches for advanced GIS analysis to derive value added data to support biodiversity monitoring.
She is passionate about using spatial data to provide answers to complex questions and teaching others the value of spatial data.
Francois Louw
MA. Social Anthropology (Stellenbosch University)
He is an innovative marketer, fundraiser and social entrepreneur with a particular interest in the sustainable development and conservation sectors. His work experience extends from rural and national park areas in South Africa and Mozambique to urban township settlements in the Western Cape. He is the Fundraising and Marketing Manager at the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), a prominent seabird rehabilitation non-profit organisation in South Africa, where he is responsible for fundraising, marketing, branding, commercial business development and communications.
He is a published author, an avid designer and has a strong passion for the environment, conservation, culture and industries committed to its preservation.
 Rethabile Motloung
​MSc. Invasion Biology 
She published a peer reviewed article in an international journal. She is currently working for the Directorate Zoological Biosystematics and Collections at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) as a scientist dealing with foundational information of which the conservation of biodiversity is highly dependent.  Her roles and responsibilities  include compilation of relevant information (e.g. biology, distribution, description, etc.) from literature for priority animal species in South Africa. Her key strengths include ability to write, read and interpret research reports. She has a high level of curiosity that keeps her motivated and passion for reading. Rethabile is also registered as a Candidate Natural Scientist in ecological science with SACNASP.

Deparatment of  Environmental Affairs
​Preshanthie Naicker-Manick
BSc. Hons. Biological Science (University of KwaZulu Natal)
She is Deputy Director for the Bioprospecting Economy at the National Department of Environmental Affairs for approximately 3 years and has experience in a wide variety of water and environmental projects. Furthermore, she has vast experience in managing global public projects such as, from the Global Environmental Facility, and United Nations Development Programme.  Previously Mrs Naicker-Manick founded a provincial chapter of a national non-for profit organisation namely, the South African Young Water Professionals Programme. Ms Naicker-Manick received various accolades during her professional career such as being awarded membership to Golden Key International Honour Society, Green Chemistry presenter award from the Royal Society of Chemistry, and recently the GreenMatter WWF Nedbank Green Trust leadership fellowship Award.
Nkosinathi Nama
MSc. Environmental Science (Rhodes University) 
​As a Source to Sea Programme project coordinator in the Amathole region his primary focus is on the conservation of 5 endangered species that are found in the catchment. The approach taken by the project is that of holistic catchment management through community empowerment, effective habitat and catchment management through community participation, species monitoring, river monitoring and alternative livelihoods promotion. His work entails networking with relevant stakeholders to encourage collaboration in projects within the catchment and community engagement and capacitation in alternative livelihood activities and skills development. He wants to leave a legacy in with this project that promotes the inclusion of local commuities in conservation, in the Amatholes.
Abulele Aphiwe Qulu
BA. Hons. Environmental Management (UNISA)
B.A. Hons. Policy and Development Studies (UKZN)
Master Candidate Urban and Regional Planning (UP)
​Her work at Msunduzi Municipality involves the review of development applications including building plans, rezoning, Planning and Development Applications (PDA) and special consent applications that involve biodiversity and open spaces.  She also advises developers and landowners on potential Biodiversity constraints on land in the City and she monitors Compliance with Environmental Impact Assessments and Environmental Authorizations. She works with Environmental Assessment Practitioners on their applications, whilst identifying key / sensitive areas (vegetation) and mapping / ground-truthing these areas using GPS.
​Oscar Mohale
​BSc. Hons. and MSc. Zoology (University of Pretoria)
Before coming to Gauteng, he lived in Moletjie, a rural area in the Limpopo Province. In Gauteng, he studied entomology and zoology i.e. forest ecology at the University of Pretoria. He is currently working at the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), an NGO dedicated to conserving threatened species and ecosystems in Southern Africa to the benefit of all people. 
At the EWT, he supports the implementation of conservation projects in the fields of marine and freshwater conservation. His day-to-day roles include fundraising and administration for projects as well as research in thematic areas such as climate change resilience and adaptation, conservation agriculture and green economy.
Adesegun Quam Popoola
BSc. Hons. Marine Science (University of Lagos, Nigeria)
BSc. Hons. Environmental Management (University of South Africa)
Master Candidate Environmental Science (UKZN)
He is an associate member of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria, a member of South African Council of Educators, the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA), member of the International Association for Impact Assessment South Africa, and a member of the prestigious Greenmatter fellowship amongst other professional associations. He is involved in a number of community and school-based projects targeting and uplifting previously disadvantaged people especially those living in rural areas in South Africa. His passion for the environment extends to many areas in the environmental field such as biodiversity, conservation, natural resource management etc. 
Zoleka Filander
PhD. Candidate Marine Zoology (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University) ​​
Zoleka is appointed as an Offshore Benthic Ecologist with the Department of Environmental Affairs: Oceans and Coast Research Chief directorate. Although, she is a certified commercial 4 diver, the depths she studies are deeper than her current diving qualification. So she usually dives to assist her colleagues. Because the depths she works at are difficult and extremely dangerous to dive, her line of work involves using an underwater camera that is operated on a vessel.
She envisages building skills in Marine Spatial Planning and conservation planning, in doing so she hopes her project can feed into ensuring that benthic sensitive ecosystems are represented in protective frameworks. She sees herself as a transformation role model and aspires to increase the current number of Black female scientist in South Africa.