selected projects,
plainly stated.

fig. 01 · limpopo · photograph forthcoming

The Chacma Baboon Project

Across Limpopo, South Africa, people and baboons share the same land. The Chacma Baboon Project works with communities, farmers, conservationists and students to build coexistence that lasts.

The Chacma Baboon Project works with communities, students, and researchers to promote peaceful coexistence between people and baboons. Through field research, community-led solutions, and training young conservationists, the project seeks to reduce conflict, protect baboons, and build lasting local capacity for conservation.

Savena provides GIS and remote-sensing support to help estimate baboon population sizes across Limpopo, South Africa.

Just as important is who carries the work forward: at the University of Venda, we designed and led a multi-day workshop on remote sensing and GIS in ecology for bachelor's, master's, and PhD students — the next generation of conservationists.

focusEstimating baboon population sizes & teaching
placeLimpopo, South Africa
year2025
statusOngoing
the chacma baboon project
fig. 02 · northern pantanal · photograph forthcoming

Boat tourism and Jaguar behaviour

Ecotourism forms a large part of the Pantanal's jaguar protection, but how the boats themselves affect jaguars has received little attention. This study offers an early quantitative estimate of that impact.

Together with the Wild Felid Conservation Trust and the Jaguar ID Project, we are conducting a study in the northern Pantanal to quantify the impact of boat tourism on short-term jaguar behaviour.

focusBoat tourism and short term jaguar behaviour
placeNorthern Pantanal, Brazil
year2026
statusOngoing
wild felid conservation trustjaguar id project
fig. 03 · eastern cape · photograph forthcoming

Landscape Connectivity for Biodiversity Conservation

In South Africa, Addo Elephant National Park, the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve, and Garden Route National Park could once again form one living landscape. This study maps the corridors that could connect them, supporting Eden to Addo's work.

Published in Biodiversity and Conservation (2025), this study maps potential wildlife corridors connecting three major reserves — Addo Elephant National Park, the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve, and Garden Route National Park — in South Africa's Eastern and Western Cape.

The study was carried out in collaboration with the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research (Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Frankfurt), the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative, and the Wildlife Free to Roam initiative (Stellenbosch University).

Africa Geographic also covered the study and its findings for a wider conservation audience.

focusEcological connectivity
placeEastern & Western Cape, South Africa
year2025
statusFinished
read the paperread the africa geographic featuresenckenberg society for nature researcheden to addowildlife free to roam

What's next

The work keeps moving between the studies — new expeditions, fresh data, and photographs carried back from the field.

Want to stay updated? Field notes is a short letter a few times a year, sent when there's something worth telling: new studies, findings, and photographs from the places where the work happens.