Bruce is the owner and CEO of Apex Conservation Services. He is a Natural Resource Ecologist with over 20 years of experience in the Biodiversity Conservation Sector. He gained invaluable experience working in prominent National Parks within South Africa and more recently providing environmental consulting services. Bruce is a passionate conservationist who believes in the conservation of our natural resources through sustainable utilisation. Bruce and his team provide services locally and internationally and work with private business, governments, NPOs, Universities and other tertiary institutions.

He has extensive experience in ecological restoration, invasive alien plant ecology and control, development of feasibility studies for climate mitigation and nature-based solution programmes, ecological assessments and management planning, development and management of biodiversity social projects and the facilitation of restoration and conservation-based skills development programmes. Bruce holds a National Diploma (Cum Laude) which he attained from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Rachel is a botanist who provides specialist botanical and ecological insights and skills to our Apex team. She has experience within the fields of thicket restoration, invasive alien plant ecology, savanna encroachment, environmental feasibility studies, nature-based solution projects, and facilitating skills development programmes. She has a passion for bringing people and nature together and has considerable experience in presenting environmental education programmes. She holds a BSc. Honours in Environmental Science from Rhodes University which looked at tourists’ behaviour and perceptions relating to plastic pollution in Protected Areas in South Africa. Rachel completed her MSc. in Botany (with distinction) with a focus on Ecology and using remote sensing to investigate thicket encroachment within savannas.

Stefan is an environmental scientist at Apex. Stefan has a BSc. Honours in Environmental Geography. He did his honours thesis on formulating a research agenda for sustainable surfing in the Gqeberha area. He has worked on a number of core projects at Apex and has experience in specialist ecological studies, environmental feasibility studies, nature-based solution projects, landscape restoration, invasive alien plant ecology and facilitating skills development programmes. Stefan is passionate about pursuing sustainable solutions to environmental challenges that have social and economic benefits.

The focus of Donovan’s work is on wetlands and their sustainable use. He has gained much experience in a great variety of wetlands under many different land uses, mainly in South Africa, as well as across eastern and southern Africa. He has worked extensively on wetland ecosystem characterization and the assessment of wetland ecosystem services and ecological integrity for a variety of purposes, including evaluation of rehabilitation projects and sustainability assessments. Donovan has published widely on wetlands and participated in many wetland research projects and the development of several assessment methods such as WET-Health and WET-EcoServices. Donovan completed his PhD in 2000 which focussed on wetland ecology.

Dr Russell is an aquatic scientist with 38 years’ experience working mostly in rivers and estuaries in South African National Parks (SANParks). In this time, he served as the senior manager of a national environmental research office. He has gained first-hand experience in a variety of environmental topics, including geomorphology, water chemistry, submerged and emergent plant community dynamics, both freshwater and estuarine fish communities, waterbird communities, avian disease occurrence and control, and conservation area use and management. He has published numerous scientific papers, popular articles, and reports on these topics. Dr Russell also has extensive experience in conservation area management planning and has participated in the production of national park and estuary management plans, and development assessments. He has served on the Water Research Commission and National Ramsar committees. Dr Russell holds a Conservation Diploma from Pretoria Technicon and a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand, focusing on methodology for the monitoring of fish communities.

Cosman is a natural resource ecologist with over 10 years of experience in land restoration projects with a focus on carbon sequestration. He has extensive experience in biodiversity and carbon monitoring, as well as carbon projections and feasibility for restoration projects. Cosman has worked with NGOs, business, government and universities in addressing the interdisciplinary challenges faced from climate change and land use impacts, by looking at restoration and regenerative practices. Cosman completed a BSc Honours in Botany at UCT, and an MSc at the Environmental Science Department at Rhodes University, in natural resource management.

Tiaan has experience in various fields of conservation ranging from fire ecology, indigenous vegetation ecology, ornithology, and invasive alien plant ecology. He is currently managing a private nature reserve in the Garden Route of South Africa. This entails quantifying biodiversity, monitoring the vegetation, bringing back lost ecological processes, removing invasive alien plants and ultimately protecting this ecosystem into perpetuity. His passion lies in restoring and protecting vulnerable ecosystems, especially along the coastal areas of South Africa which are currently under threat from increased urban developments and sand mining. Tiaan has studied in the field of Nature Conservation for ten years and has recently been awarded his PhD at the Nelson Mandela University, George Campus. His PhD focussed on the ecology of subtropical dune thicket vegetation, specifically the effects of fire in this system. Tiaan has also published numerous scientific papers on this topic.

Nicholaus completed an MSc degree in geography with a focus on fluvial geomorphology, and has been working in catchment management projects for over 10 years. Nicholaus has a comprehensive knowledge of Geographical Information Systems and their use as a tool in catchment management. Nicholaus is confident in field-based research, ecosystem mapping, prioritisation, restoration and conservation planning. He has a keen interest in remote sensing techniques using satellite and drone imagery to map, monitor, and evaluate vegetation condition and land cover change and linking this to overall landscape condition. Nicholaus has worked in areas of Tanzania, Belize, South Africa and Lesotho.

Myles is a natural resource economist with over 35 years of experience working on social-ecological systems challenges in developing countries across the world. He develops and applies tools to support investment decision-making by governments and businesses for infrastructure, agriculture, minerals and mining, conservation, and in the water sector. Myles holds an Honours degree in Economics and Geography from the University of Natal, along with a Conservation Diploma. He is a partner in Ecosystemiq.

Nicci is a seasoned climate and environmental governance professional, with over 25 years’ experience working across Africa. She has developed and led multi-national, national and sub-regional programmes for governments and businesses, focused on policy and plan development, sustainable infrastructure delivery, nature-based solutions, socio-economic development and sustainable livelihoods. Nicci holds a Master of Science degree from Stellenbosch University in Sustainable Forestry and Natural Resources Management. She is a Managing Partner at Ecosystemiq.

Tony is a systems ecologist with a deep interest in the anthropological and economic elements of global change. He enjoys initiatives that are multi-disciplinary in nature, requiring joint consideration of ecological, economic, policy, strategy and implementation elements. Within this domain, Tony has played a leading role in South Africa’s National Land-Use Based Climate Change Mitigation Strategies, the National Ecosystem-based Adaptation Action Plan, Vital Signs Africa, and has been the principal advisor on land-use based climate change mitigation and adaptation programmes across Sub-Saharan Africa. At present, he is leading a team developing extensive conservation agriculture, agroforestry, reforestation and REDD projects in southern and Eastern Africa. Tony founded two advisory practices – the climate change practice within Genesis Analytics and more recently Cirrus. He is on the Gold Standard’s Technical Advisory Committee, a Lead Author on the IPCC’s Special Report on Land and Climate Change, and presents lectures on carbon accounting at the University of Cape Town.

Mike is a Restoration Ecologist- his skills include Project Management and Natural Resource Management, and he has valuable knowledge within the fields of Thicket Restoration, Sustainability and Ecology. Mike obtained his Master of Science degree in Restoration Ecology from Rhodes University. He is completing a PhD in the Department of Environmental Science; his thesis is seeking to tease out some of the complexities (tipping points, thresholds, and barriers) in thicket restoration. Mike is the director of the Rhodes Restoration Research Group, and he and his team are involved with research and the sustainable use of subtropical thicket.

John Sharples and his team at Sharples Environmental Services specialize in Integrated Environmental Management with a key focus on Environmental Impact Assessments, Environmental Management Plans and Monitoring and Water use authorisations and aquatic services. They have two offices, one located in George and one in Cape Town. They provide services throughout South Africa.

Wildlife veterinarian and keen conservationist who specialises in endangered species translocation, rewilding and re-introductions. Provides valuable veterinary services throughout Africa where he is involved with prominent conservation organisations such as Ashia Cheetah Conservation and African Parks. Willem attended the Universities of Stellenbosch and Pretoria, where he achieved degrees in BSc Agric Economics and BVSc Veterinary Science.

He has over 25 years of experience, offering expertise in environmental custodianship. He is driven by a passion for conservation and community service, and he integrates practical experience and strategic thinking to promote sustaining natural ecosystems and community well-being.
In his role within Protected Area Conservation Management, Jonathan has developed and executed operational plans within complex socio-ecological systems. Jonathan has demonstrated proficiency in various aspects of conservation, such as estuary and coastal management, invasive species control, integrated fire management, catchment management, restoration initiatives, and compliance with environmental legislation. His approach, grounded in project management principles, collaboration and innovation, is informed by adaptive management processes, ensuring that conservation efforts remain responsive to changing conditions and challenges. He serves as a volunteer director for a local NPO, fostering marine conservation through citizen science, and has served as a National Sea Rescue volunteer for 12 years.

Maretha earned her M.Phil. in Environmental Science from the University of Cape Town in 1996 and brings over 30 years of experience in integrated environmental management. She has a deep expertise in preparing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for major international projects, including those funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank. Maretha has also played a significant role in reviewing development proposals within Protected Areas, particularly in the buffer zones of the Garden Route National Park and the North West Parks and Tourism Board’s expansion areas. Her proficiency spans EIA processes, environmental law, landscape ecology, climate adaptation strategies, biodiversity stewardship, and protected area management. She focuses on fostering conservation outcomes for development projects—such as housing, estates, and agricultural ventures—located in high-biodiversity, sensitive areas. Maretha is registered with EAPASA (Registration # 2022/5417).