Team

Sam is a general Ecologist and Wildlife Management specialist who primarily operates as a Mammalogist, Avifaunal and Botanical specialist in many African countries. As a broad base, Sam has accumulated degrees is Marine Biology, Conservation Biology as well as Wildlife Management (BSc, BSC Hons, MSc Cand.).

Sam formed Enviro-Insight with Luke Verburgt where he operates as a Co-Director and Specialist Zoologist and Ecologist. In addition, Sam is a co-director of the newly registered Enviro-Insight DRC in partnership with Mr Luke Verburgt and Merimee Kalumba. Finally, Sam is a co-director of a registered Non-Profit Organisation named the Wild Lion Trust, an organisation based in Tembe National Park (Kwa Zulu Natal) devoted to the conservation of lions and carnivores throughout Africa.

Sam’s experience covers work on projects throughout Africa (South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Liberia) and has successfully worked with/for numerous local and African and international companies. His experience is very broad and covers general ecological assessments, biodiversity assessments, linear avifauna assessments, linear biodiversity assessments as well as faunal and floral monitoring projects, evaluation of rehabilitation programs, preparation of management plans, health and safety training for dangerous fauna and project management. Sam also has extensive experience in large IFC Performance Standard 6 projects which represents the core focus of Enviro-Insight and Enviro-Insight DRC.

Sam has been awarded the status of Professional Scientist (SACNASP) for both Ecological Science and Zoological Science.

Luke is a general Zoologists (MSc. in Zoology) primarily specializing in the field of Herpetology (amphibians & reptiles). His specialist and scientific research background extends over 13 years and Luke currently maintains strong interests in both environmental consulting and academia. In 2009 Luke formed Enviro-Insight (with partner Sam Laurence) where he operates as a Co-Director, Project Manager, GIS specialists, Software developer and Specialist Zoologist.

Luke’s experience covers work on projects throughout Africa and its islands (South Africa [including Marion Island], Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Madagascar, Uganda, Namibia and Liberia) and has successfully worked with/for numerous local and international companies. His experience is extremely broad and encompasses ecological assessments, biodiversity assessments, linear assessments as well as monitoring projects, preparation of management plans, health and safety training for dangerous fauna and project management. Specialist consulting experience is available upon request.

Luke is registered with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP member no: 400506/11), is a member of the Herpetological Association of Africa and a member of the expert panel for the Animal Demography Unit (University of Cape Town) Virtual Museum.

Lukas has been working as a consultant in the field of ecology for the past 10 years and is also director of his own consultancy that specialises in biodiversity and environmental matters. His core service includes ornithological (the study of birds) and entomological (the study of invertebrates) assessments.

He has travelled extensively to many remote places as far as Marion Island and has worked on many international projects pertaining to the African continent. He worked on projects earmarked for the urban and mining sector and has been involved in many linear projects, monitoring programmes, biodiversity action plans as well as specific investigations regarding species with rare/elusive life-history traits (e.g. threatened species).

Mr. Llwelyn Coertzen completed a BSc Hons in Wildlife Management with specialization in Botany, Zoology and terrestrial Ecology from the University of Pretoria. He started consulting in 2010 and with his five years of applied experience he offers a wide suite of specialization and inter-disciplinary understanding in South Africa, with a careful balance maintained between applied consulting, research and training. This inter-disciplinary focus forms the framework for his keen interest in eco-hydrology, which studies the relationship between ecology and hydrology in order to improve ecosystem resilience. Although primarily a wildlife and vegetation ecologist, Llwelyn has a strong background in GIS, remote sensing and numerical modeling which he uses as the foundation for ecological modeling throughout projects. Llwelyn has worked on projects specific to the urban, agriculture and mining sectors, which included linear projects, monitoring programmes, biodiversity assessments, veld condition and veld management assessments across the African continent. He is a registered professional scientist in the field of ecology with the South African Council of Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).

Extensive experience as aquatic specialist with high competency in the following:
• Baseline assessments of aquatic ecosystems including:
• Detailed characterization of aquatic habitats;
• Collection of water & sediment samples and interpretation of laboratory results;
• Sampling of aquatic biota including periphyton, diatoms, zooplankton & phytoplankton, benthic macroinvertebrates & fish;
• Compilation of impact assessment reports in line with IFC Performance Standard 6;
• Compilation of biodiversity reports;
• Compilation of alien invasive species management plans;
• Ecological risk assessment.
• Experience in a wide variety of environments in 15 African countries (South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Madagascar, Lesotho, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Tanzania, Togo, Guinea, Liberia & Mali).

I am the one you need to contact, if you have any queries about Enviro-Insight and our capacity to assist you regarding any environmental or educational projects. I will attend to your queries asap! I am certified to conduct SASS5 (river health) assessments and furthermore support the team hands-on in the planning, preparation and execution of fieldwork.

Mariné is a soil, land use and agricultural scientist with project experience in several African countries including Angola, DRC, Liberia and Ghana. Apart from project consultation, she also provides training on large-scale agricultural projects and works on ecological restoration projects. She has recently attended the First Global Soil Week that was held in Berlin where she presented on Land Degradation and Mining in South Africa.

Work currently being done for Enviro-Insight covers two separate areas: Water Resources Management, WRM, and Environmental Compliance Monitoring, ECM.

WRM involves considering the technical and legal implications of, or aspects related to, current or proposed water uses, advising water users on any legal and technical requirements related to such water uses, and engaging with regulatory bodies to facilitate the issuing of any authorisations, if and as required.

This covers both consumptive and non-consumptive water uses, including streamflow reduction activities but excluding water quality-related activities.

ECM involves monitoring the compliance of NEMA-listed activities with any Environmental Management Plans which such activities may be subject to.

Marnus Erasmus completed his National Diploma in Nature Conservation at the Tshwane University of Technology whereafter he joined Enviro-Insight in 2015. He is finishing his studies in 2016 with Tshwane University of Technology for his Baccalaureus in Nature Conservation. His tasks involve various administration duties including the processing and uploading of field data to the ADU (Animal Demography Unit) Virtual Museum. He manages the DNA database and curates the DNA samples prior to accessioning them at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). He also assists with specialist field work including mammology, herpetology and botany. While working with Enviro-Insight he has joined several basic assessments and has helped many different specialists on several projects. He has a great passion for nature and his knowledge on South-African botany is extensive.