Who is “Apex Conservation Services” and what do we actually do?
Apex Conservation Services is a dynamic Environmental Consultancy Company based in Sedgefield, in the Garden Route, South Africa. Our diversely skilled team have many years of experience delivering high-quality environmental, conservation and community-based services to a wide range of clients, within the public and private sectors. Our services include the following:
- Management planning: development of management plans for protected areas and environments, game and wildlife reserves, biosphere reserves, conservancies and other natural areas. Development of invasive alien species monitoring, control, and eradication plans
- Restoration works: Development of rehabilitation plans, degradation assessments, technical support and implementation
- Specialist studies (botanical and faunal)
- Environmental feasibly studies
- Specialist climate mitigation studies (Nature-based solutions)
- Development and facilitation of skills development programmes
Why the blog?
We are incredibly excited to be launching our blog at Apex Conservation Services! Our blog will keep our friends, associates, and clients updated with the exciting news and projects we are engaged with as environmental consultants. These blogs will be categorised as “Apex Project Updates” where we will highlight the projects we have been involved in, and “Apex News” where we will share any new developments or exciting news happening at Apex.
So come along for the adventure and discover more about who we are and what we do! For our first blog, we will introduce some members of our Apex Team.
Meet the Apex Team
Bruce Taplin
Bruce is the founder and CEO of Apex. He is a Natural Resource Ecologist who is passionate about conservation. Bruce believes in conserving our natural resources through sustainable utilisation. He enjoys applying his many years of practical conservation management experience to finding practical solutions for environmental challenges. Bruce previously worked for South African National Parks where he was employed as a regional manager responsible for managing numerous Biodiversity Social Restoration Projects in Addo Elephant, Mountain Zebra, Camdeboo and Karoo National Parks. Bruce has over 20 years of conservation management experience which he has gained working in Protected Areas and Environments, Biosphere Reserves and consulting as an independent environmental consultant nationally and internationally.
Growing up in the wilderness nestled in the heart of the Garden Route laid the foundation for his love for nature and the passion to conserve it for future generations. When he is not engaged in a worthwhile conservation project he can be found surfing at his favourite spots. Bruce shares his love for nature with his wife Megan who is also an avid conservationist. Bruce has two children Anjuli and Kishan who have grown up living in National Parks and also enjoy hiking, birding and anything adventurous!
Rachel Putzier
Rachel is an environmental consultant at Apex Conservation Services providing specialist input as a botanist. She cares deeply for nature and people and hopes to use her work to contribute towards conservation and sustainable development. Rachel completed her MSc. in the Botany Department at Rhodes University. Her thesis investigated the spatial patterns of thicket expansion into semi-arid savanna. Rachel uses her botanical knowledge to provide insights into a range of projects, such as invasive alien plants, restoration and rehabilitation, and biochar projects. She has experience applying her knowledge practically while undertaking fieldwork and ecological assessments, as well as using her skills to compile reports and plans. She loves learning more about the complex ecological systems and all their interacting components (especially the plants)!
Rachel is from East London originally and lived in Grahamstown for six years while she completed her MSc. in Botany. She loves photography and enjoys going for a walk on the beach, snorkeling, or reading on her weekends.
Stefan le Roux
Stefan is an Environmental Scientist consulting at Apex. He obtained his BSc. in 2018, majoring in Environmental Geography and Botany, and in 2019 he graduated with his BSc. (Hons) in Environmental Geography from Nelson Mandela University. Stefan has practical experience undertaking fieldwork, species assessments, managing thicket restoration teams, and combating soil erosion. He also has a background working with invasive alien species, and conducting feasibility studies. Stefan has been involved in developing reports, including literature reviews, monitoring guidelines, Invasive Alien Species Monitoring, Control, and Eradication Plans, and Environmental Management Plans. As a member of the Apex team, he also helps with GIS work and mapping.
Stefan grew up in George, and he knows the Garden Route area well. He likes being out in nature and enjoys surfing and hiking on his time off.
For more information on Apex Conservation Services and the rest of our team of environmental consultants and associates, click here.
Follow along for more of our blogs to keep up-to-date with the work that Apex is involved in! Also check out our LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook pages.