Staff
Bettina Koelle
(Director)
Bettina holds a Master's Degree in Geography, Cartography and Anthropology of the Free University of Berlin. She has been working in development for the past 15 years, focusing in trans disciplinary research and participatory methods. She is involved in climate change adaptation working with rural communities, training, social research, Participatory GIS and organisational development. Bettina is currently also undertaking her PhD studies in the field of climate change adaptation - focussing on how to increase problem solving communities in the adaptation process to increase resilience to climate change and climate variability.
Estholene Moses
(Financial Administration and Project Officer)
Estholene is the financial administrator and project officer for our business and biodiversity programme. She has been part of the CREW group in Nieuwoudtville as a Biodiversity Facilitator and has run various business training and computer training courses.
Donna Kotze
(Biodiversity Facilitator and Project Officer)
Donna is a biodiversity facilitator linking local Biodiversity Action with stakeholders from science and land users. She is involved in monitoring rare and endemic plants as part of the CREW work, facilitates the winter and summer school for local children and adults and the Nieuwoudtville Eco Talks. Donna is also part of the climate change adaptation programme and organises the climate change preparedness workshops and manages the weather stations. Her other project activities include working with GPS/ GIS, botanical surveys and exploring methods of controlling alien grasses in the Nieuwoudtville Dolerite Renosterveld.
Shannon Parring
(Climate Change Adaptation Project Officer)
Shannon works as a project officer in the climate change adaptation project. She is responsible for community liaison, documentation and knowledge management. She has been working in the PGIS context with GPS and is currently a GIS apprentice. Shannon is also experienced in participatory video and has edited a number of participatory community videos on climate change.
Marlene Witbooi
(Office Assistant)
Marlene works as the office assistant taking care of all the small and important tasks to help us maintain order and a smooth work flow.
Indigo Associates
Rhoda Malgas
Rhoda holds a Master's Degree in Botany of the University of Cape Town. Rhoda is working on projects pertaining to sustainable natural resource use with specific focus on the conservation and ecology of biodiversity in the rooibos production area. Her work related interests to date include management and sustainable production of wild rooibos, the ecology of wild rooibos ecotypes, climate change and its effects on biodiversity in the Fynbos and Succulent Karoo biomes. Rhoda is currently based at the University of Stellenbosch.
Adele Arendse
Adele has been involved in climate change adaptation for many years and is currently based with the University of Wageningen working on her Master's Degree focusing on Monitoring & Evaluation in Community Based Climate Change Adaptation Projects.
Katinka Wagsaether
Katinka is currently finalising her Masters in Environmental and Geographical Science at the University of Cape Town. Her masters research is looking at the vulnerability of smallscale farmers in Mpumalanga and how they are coping with climate variability and change. Katinka is also co-ordinator of the Adaptation Network, a platform for sharing experiences and knowledge relating to climate change adaptation.
Wendy Annecke
Wendy has a doctorate in gender, energy and development studies. She has held senior positions at the Energy and Development Research Centre (now ERC) at the University of Cape Town, the Human Sciences Research Council and Global Village Energy Partnership International. At ERC she specialized in participatory methodologies and qualitative research design and was responsible for bringing a gender focus to the Centre's work. She first wrote the likely social impacts of climate change on women in Africa in 2002. Wendy used to lead the Indigo climate change adaptation programme.