The 2017/2018 Committee

Kate MacEwan (BSc (Hons)) (the chairperson) is a SACNASP registered zoologist and environmental scientist with over 18 years of zoological, environmental management and practical bat conservation experience. She has attended many meetings and performed many administrative functions for the organisation, she a co-author of the 4th edition South African Good Practise Guidelines for Surveying Bats in Wind Farm Developments – Pre-construction (Sowler et al 2016) and is a co-author on the 1st edition South African Good Practice Guidelines for Operational Monitoring for Bats at Wind Energy Facilities (Aronson et al 2014). She has conducted long term bat monitoring at over 30 proposed and operational wind energy facilities.

Brent Coverdale is the Bird and Mammals Scientist with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, based at the organisation's head office in Pietermaritzburg. His primary function is providing support to management around bird and mammal issues (permits, development applications, and extension). He is also responsible for the compilation of certain state of biodiversity species reports for the province.

Stacey Cyrus (Jordaan) (MSc) is currently a director of Gaia Environmental Services. After completing her undergraduate with honours in Zoology at UCT, Stacey went on to attain an MSc in Zoology (UCT), with a focus on the behavioural ecology of bats. In addition to a well-rounded ecological knowledge, she has over ten years’ experience working with bats. She has an enthusiasm for the environment and is passionate about conservation. She is devoted to promoting sustainability and mediating the balance between development and the environment.

Prof David Jacobs (PhD) at the University of Cape Town is an evolutionary biologist with focus on bats and has more than 20 years of experience researching the evolution, ecology, behaviour, physiology, genetics and echolocation of bats across the globe. He also has experience in conducting environmental impact assessments of wind turbines on bats.

Lourens Leeuwner is the Wildlife and Energy Programme Manager of the Endangered Wildlife Trust. Before taking up this position in 2013, he was involved in game ranch management, environmental auditing and environmental management in the construction sector. He is currently overseeing operational monitoring at Eskom Sere Windfarm and pre-construction monitoring at the Eskom Upington CSP. Powerline incident investigation and mitigation takes up the remainder of his time.

Monika Moir (MSc) has six years of working experience as a Senior Environmental Consultant, specializing in preconstruction environmental impact assessments and operational monitoring studies of bats for wind farms. She is registered as a SACNASP Professional Natural Scientist and has undertaken bat work in Lesotho, Tanzania and across South Africa. Monika undertook an MSc Biodiversity and Conservation researching several ecological factors that affect two common South African bat species, and the application of this research to wind farm development in South Africa. She is currently a PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University performing acoustic, genetic and ecological research on bats in forests of the Eastern Cape.

Leigh Richards (PhD) is a SACNASP registered Zoologist and is Curator of Mammals at the Durban Natural Science Museum. Leigh’s department is responsible for collecting, receiving, identifying, and curating small mammals from across Africa and so also receives and curates the bodies of bats killed by wind turbines. She has a PhD in bat taxonomy and is currently involved in biodiversity surveys of the eThekwini region and the Eastern Cape. As a member of Bats KZN Leigh also trains bat enthusiasts and professionals in field techniques.

E.J. (Kate) Richardson (MSc, BCom) is a SACNASP registered Zoologist and owns and runs Richardson & Peplow Environmental based in KwaZulu-Natal. She has been involved in bat conservation, training, research, and rehabilitation for 25 years.

SAWEA The South African Wind Energy Association has a seat on the SABAA committee to allow better communication between the two organisations. SAWEA has a mission to remove obstacles to the implementation of sustainable wind energy activities in Southern Africa. The current SABAA-SAWEA representative is Ben Brimble.

Dr Sandie Sowler MCIEEM is an international advisor on the panel of SABAAP. She is the co-author of the 1st and 2nd edition of the SA Bat Monitoring Guidelines. and the primary author of the 3rd edition of the Guidelines. Sandie is a SA bat researcher and UK ecological trainer. She will review documents produced by SABAAP and assist in the production of new documents drawing on her South African and UK experience.

Dr Cris Hein is the Coordinator for Bat Conservation International’s Bats and Wind Energy Program and for the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative. Cris is working with the SABAAP as a technical advisor on developing scientifically robust monitoring protocols for pre- and post-construction impact studies at wind energy facilities.