WORKING FOR WILDLIFE & WILD PLACES

A lifelong interest in wildlife and wild places has been the foundation of my professional life. Early in my career, having been a trustee and committee member in various conservation-oriented organisations, I realised that my life's work was better suited to sharing soulful, caring messaging that speaks to one’s empathy and emotions, as ultimately, it is through our emotional response to issues that we are motivated to care or live differently.

 

MARINE CONSERVATION

Since 2003, I have run the Oceans of Africa programme with my husband, Noel Ashton, who is a public speaker and cetacean scientific illustrator. Together, we have launched many programmes that focus on whales and the protection of their ocean habitats. Project milestones have included our global Sacred Ocean Campaign with IFAW International and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; our Windows on the Oceans initiative in the Two Oceans Aquarium with support from Jonathan Oppenheimer and The De Beers Trust; and numerous awareness initiatives, including The Whale Show, The Benguela Project, and the IFAW Whale Walk.

 

RHINO CONSERVATION

Our Mapungubwe Revisited initiative, in partnership with WWF-SA in support of their rhino conservation work, told the story of this iconic piece and its relevance in today’s fraught and stressful world. My involvement with this programme included creating all the visual and narrative components on display at the many public events we co-hosted with WWF, including the launch event at the Everard Read Gallery in Johannesburg and the Mapungubwe Museum in Pretoria.

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URBAN WILDLIFE

Since 2010, I have run the Wild Neighbours initiative with its focus on urban wildlife. This programme was enabled through the incredible support of Dr John Hadidian and Dr Andrew Rowan of The Humane Society US. In more recent years, local components of the initiative have been funded by IFAW Southern Africa. My public talk, Living with our Wild Neighbours, was first presented at the Rondevlei Nature Reserve  - a significant personal milestone speaking to an audience!

 

VISUAL DISPLAYS

Over the years, I have created a range of visual displays that combine ecology with soulful narratives and imagery. My Reconnecting with Nature displays, developed in partnership with the SA Biodiversity Institute, were installed in the nine National Botanical Gardens of South Africa. With their compelling narratives and imagery, the displays offer visitors a chance to deepen their experience while adventuring outdoors in nature.

I have outdoor awareness displays on eco and wine estates around the Western Cape, including Constantia Uitsig and Lourensford.

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INTERPRETATIVE SIGNAGE

Occasionally I get involved in projects that mean a great deal to me, for instance, creating the information signboard for the prestigious WB Yeats project Enwrought Light in Bedford Park, London.

 

AFRICAN WILDERNESS

My work in wilderness conservation led to the wonderful opportunity to work with Vance G. Martin of the The WILD Foundation in the US, creating the inspirational Wilderness Visionaries display, which was launched at the WILD9 World Wilderness Congress in Merida, Mexico.

I also had the privilege of working with Dr Ian Player, who, with Laurens van der Post, founded the wilderness movement in southern Africa, and I was so touched when he wrote the foreword to my book Connecting with Wilderness. Dr Player was a man of immense grace and generosity of spirit, and I will be forever grateful for his kindness to me.

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SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Before re-focusing my work on narrative writing and storytelling, I was involved in numerous scientific projects including baboon conservation; research into the porcupine quill trade for IFAW Southern Africa with wildlife cinematographer Nick Chevallier; and the African Elephant Immunocontraception Report for the Humane Society at Makalali.

 

NATURE WRITING

Words, poems, and writing about nature are my life passions. Over the years, I have written articles for various publications, including Africa Geographic and a regular column in Cape etc magazine. My journal, Cape Envirolink, sponsored by The Table Mountain Fund and recipient of a Green Trust Award, shared information about greening issues in the city.

My husband and I have published numerous books, and our latest field guide, Watching Whales and Dolphins, published by Penguin Random House, is filled with Noel's scientific illustrations and anecdotal observations of cetaceans from his many years working for whales and the protection of marine environments.

Penguin Random House Profile