John Vogel Email & Phone Number

South Africa

Garamba National Park

Eastern Cape

The project seeks to expand representation of globally important terrestrial habitats by establishing new protected areas (PAs) covering 197,000 ha. The current Protected Area estate does not effectively represent the full range of globally important species and habitats in the three biodiversity hotspots in South Africa (Succulent Karoo, Cape Floral Kingdom and Maputaland Pondoland Albany Hotspot); and as a result, key critical biodiversity areas within these remain under-protected and are at risk of loss or degradation of habitat from several factors. Traditional PA expansion through land purchase is no longer cost effective given the shrinking budgets of conservation agencies. Hence, the project focuses on using low cost mechanisms for land acquisition and management in order to rapidly expand the PA network to secure globally important biodiversity. The project utilizes contractual and stewardship arrangements with private and communal landowners, as well as transfers and formalization of conservation tenure of state land to rapidly expand the PA network. This is done both at a site level, and also across the PA network.The GEF-5 Project themed Improving Management Effectiveness of the Protected Area Network Project is supported by GEF through the UNDP and DEA. SANParks is the Implementer for the GEF-5 Project and is in partnership with five agencies, one of which is the Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency (ECPTA).

Mossel Bay

As the Conservation Manager at Gondwana Game Reserve, I was responsible and accountable for the development of all environmental spheres concerning the management of an 11 000ha reserve. Project management formed a large component of my daily tasks, including the compilation and implementation of management plans, sourcing of external funding, vegetation monitoring and management programs, environmental law compliance, management of professional development and support of staff, game capture and translocation, implementing environmental education programs, report writing, invasive alien plant APO and GIS experience.

Master Of Science - Ms, Nature Conservation

B-Tech, Nature Conservation

National Diploma, Game Ranch Managment