Johan van der Westhuizen

Johan has been passionate about wildlife, nature, and conservation for as long as he can remember. Growing up in the very wild parts of Northern Botswana, he had the opportunity to daily experience the vast wilderness of Africa in its true form. From a young age, he knew he would one day take part in protecting and conserving this magnificent wilderness.

Johan received his BSc degree in Conservation Ecology and Entomology at the University of Stellenbosch in 2019. After that he spent two years building experience in the field of nature conservation by working as a reserve manager of a private nature reserve in Limpopo and as a field manager on a baboon conservation project in the Overstrand, Western Cape.

Johan hopes gaining his master’s degree in Conservation Biology will mean he can further develop his skills as a conservationist and use his qualification to live out his passions on a larger scale.

Thesis: Are elephants the primary dispersal and germination agent of the Mongongo tree in the Chobe district, Northern Botswana? (Supervisors: Michael Cramer, Jeremy Midgeley).