From a young age, Pascale knew that her passion lay in conservation. She pursued a BSc in Conservation Ecology at Stellenbosch University and actively sought opportunities to gain as much hands-on experience as possible. This included everything from hospitality and field guiding to rehabilitation and ecological work, one of which was with the Sanbona Student Program.
While her love for conservation and ecology ran deep, she chose to follow her dream of becoming a field guide and completed her FGASA training and student placement around the Kruger National Park in 2009 and started guiding in the Eastern Cape later that year.
In 2011, after spending time at Sanbona on various occasions, she joined their guiding department. Over the next six years, she worked as a guide across the lodges at Sanbona, passionately sharing the story of this unique Klein Karoo landscape with visitors. During this time, she played a key role in establishing the Strive to Educate program, which focuses on educating children from the Sanbona community and surrounding areas about conservation and wildlife.
In late 2015, she began her MSc research on the Feeding and Spatial Ecology of Elephants in the Little Karoo, through Stellenbosch University, and completed it in 2018. In December 2017, she transitioned to the role of Conservation Coordinator within Sanbona’s Conservation Department. In this capacity, she helped expand the Strive to Educate program, participated in fieldwork, such as game capture and vegetation impact studies, oversaw departmental administration, and served as a liaison between guests and the Conservation team.
In 2024, she took on a new challenge as the Community Initiatives Coordinator at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. This role allows her to combine her passion for conservation with community engagement, particularly through the continued growth of the Strive to Educate program, which now reaches 18 schools from Ashton to Barrydale. Over the past two years, she had the privilege of expanding their community programs, including Strive to Educate, Strive to Feed, and Strive to Care, all while partnering with local organizations such as Barrydale in Bloom and Bright Haven. Sanbona has also launched new initiatives like Project Hope and Play, which aim to uplift the surrounding communities in meaningful ways.
For Pascale, conservation is not just about preserving nature—it’s about working hand-in-hand with communities. By fostering education and upliftment, we ensure that vast landscapes are preserved for future generations.
Pascale will speak about Sanbona and the importance of Landscape Conservation. Saturday 15th at 12h00, Karoolkie Guest House. Landscape conservation is an holistic conservation approach that focuses on maintaining the health, functionality, and resilience of large, interconnected ecosystems by integrating socio-ecological goals. Landscape conservation in the Little Karoo is vital for preserving the region’s unique biodiversity, and water resources. This environment is home to many endemic species and fragile ecosystems, which are highly vulnerable to human activity, climate change, and habitat destruction. Sanbona strives to protect the landscapes with the hopes of maintaining both the natural heritage whilst supporting economic sustainability of the Little Karoo.
