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With a passion for conservation and a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, Alexandra has a diverse background. Alexandra started her career as a Project Engineer, working on some of the biggest green building projects in Johannesburg. Her experience includes a variety of IT projects across Africa for a major retailer, along with extensive experience in tender management, project management and loyalty programmes.

 

Alexandra has experience in drone consulting and aviation project management. Currently, Alexandra is working in the engineering insurance field while pursuing her many creative interests, which includes photography, art and poetry. Alexandra has also been studying to further her conservation knowledge and has passed the Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) examination through the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC).

 

Her biggest passion is wildlife conservation and volunteer work. South Africa and Africa at large, is home to many endangered species of wildlife. Creating awareness for the protection of Africa’s rich environmental heritage is essential. Through Alexandra’s volunteering and creative projects that fuse her love for art and poetry with her goal to support crucial wildlife organisations, she continually works towards making a difference.

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Conservation Volunteer Work

 

Alexandra’s animal welfare, wildlife conservation and volunteer work journey began in 2012 with the start of the Beagle Calendar & Charity Projects with Maryna Venter. This project raised funds for a beagle named Obelix, who urgently needed stem cell therapy to help him recover from the multiple operations he had undergone since a puppy. Subsequently, the group has evolved to help find foster care and forever homes for beagles in need.

 

Through this project, Alexandra’s passion for animals and wildlife was born. Her volunteer work has included the following:

 

Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary

The largest orphaned rhino sanctuary in the world, Care for Wild rescues, rehabilitates, rewilds, releases, and protects rhinos against poaching and other crises threatening rhino populations in South Africa. After just a week of volunteering at Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary, Alexandra quickly fell in love with the orphaned rhinos. During her time as a volunteer, she donated a series of art pieces that included photographs taken of the orphans and other wildlife within the sanctuary, along with poetry reflecting the need to protect these gentle, vulnerable animals. Furthermore, she planned and implemented a fundraiser in her personal capacity, raising funds to purchase wishlist items for the hardworking teams at Care for Wild. She continues to volunteer at Care for Wild.

 

Learn more about Care for Wild.

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Veterans for Wildlife

Veterans for Wildlife is a global organisation established to combat the rapid increase in wildlife crime in Africa, with a focus on rhino and elephant poaching.

 

Through her previous volunteering work, Alexandra began working with the Veterans for Wildlife team to create art pieces raising awareness for Africa’s threatened wildlife and the work done by this organisation and their veteran volunteers. Her artwork included photography as well as the important stories told by the volunteers, on their personal journeys and their time working with Veterans for Wildlife. 

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Learn more about Veterans for Wildlife.

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​&Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve

Home to Africa’s Big Five, as well as 1 000 hectares of critically endangered ancient dry sand forest, Phinda encompasses an impressive 29 866 hectares of reclaimed farmland in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 

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Now protected wildlife land, the reserve relies on the participation of volunteers, like Alexandra, to support their conservation and research efforts, which are centred on the active protection of critically endangered wildlife, including cheetah, rhino and the elusive pangolin. Going behind the scenes for a week, Alexandra didn’t hesitate to get her hands dirty, and was thrilled to be involved in monitoring the wildlife’s wellbeing and location on a daily basis. From tracking elephants to assisting on a rhino dehorning, and the soft release of two pangolins, she can’t wait to do it again.

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Learn more about &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve

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Greenpop

The Reforest Festival is an annual restoration celebration that brings people together to plant thousands of trees while enjoying a celebration like no other. Alexandra attended Greenpop’s Reforest Festival in April 2023 where she participated in planting 5001 trees at Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat. Alexandra also did a book reading, of her book Tahlia and the Tree, for the children who attended the event.

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Learn more about Greenpop

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Conservation Books

 

To further her goal of driving awareness of the global wildlife crisis, Alexandra wrote and illustrated a series of conservation books. These books were written to increase awareness and raise funds for organisations making a difference to protect our wildlife, marine life and forests. The books highlight critical conservation concerns facing a huge number of species across the globe. 

 

Featuring black and white artwork that reinforces the fact that there are no grey areas when it comes to fighting against wildlife & marine life extinction and deforestation, the books are made to teach both the next generation and adults, to treasure the earth around them and learn how to take action before it is too late.

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"Children’s books for adults, because some of us forgot how to be kind towards others."

 

Each book supports a different cause, with proceeds of book sales donated to each cause.  Causes supported by each book include the following:

 

 

 

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  • Tahlia and the Tree supports Greenpop, and the work they do to restore degraded forest areas, increase biodiversity, and expand ecosystem services across Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Other Books:

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  • The Adventures of Duncan and Bane supports organisations in the UK dedicated to helping retired military working dogs, ensuring they receive the care, respect, and love they deserve after a lifetime of service.

 

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Through her experience and passion for making the world a better place, Alexandra continues to volunteer and support conservation causes in South Africa and beyond.

Biography

Volunteering
Books
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