The 2023/2024 Committee
The current committee consists of experts in various fields of bat work. Because the group consists of academics, conservationists, and specialist consultants - it is practical, representative, balanced, and self-regulatory. The committee members are as follows:
SABAA Chairperson
E.J. (Kate) Richardson (MSc, BCom, Pr. Nat. Sci.) is a SACNASP registered Zoologist and owns and runs Richardson & Peplow Environmental based in KwaZulu-Natal. She has been involved in bat conservation, training, research, and rehabilitation for 25 years.
E.J. (Kate) Richardson (MSc, BCom, Pr. Nat. Sci.) is a SACNASP registered Zoologist and owns and runs Richardson & Peplow Environmental based in KwaZulu-Natal. She has been involved in bat conservation, training, research, and rehabilitation for 25 years.
Caroline Lötter is a Senior Zoologist at IWS, and is
SACNASP-registered as a Pr. Nat. Sci. in Zoology. Since 2011, Caroline has worked with Kate MacEwan
and Trevor Morgan on multiple pre-construction and several operational bat monitoring studies for
WEFs in South Africa. She is a co-author of the South African best practice guidelines for
pre-construction bat monitoring at WEFs (MacEwan et al, 2020), and has performed a number of bat
cave, and numerous (>100) faunal, impact assessments in the country.
Brent Coverdale is the Bird and Mammals Scientist with Ezemvelo KZN
Wildlife, based at the organisation's head office in Pietermaritzburg. His primary function is providing
support to management around bird and mammal issues (permits, development applications, and extension).
He is also responsible for the compilation of certain state of biodiversity species reports for the
province.
Oscar Mohale (MSc Ecology) is the Wildlife and Energy Programme Manager of the
Endangered Wildlife Trust.
Mark Keith (PhD) is the course coordinator at the Eugene Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria
Leigh Richards (PhD) is a SACNASP registered Zoologist and is Curator
of Mammals at the Durban Natural Science Museum. Leigh’s department is responsible for collecting,
receiving, identifying, and curating small mammals from across Africa and so also receives and curates
the bodies of bats killed by wind turbines. She has a PhD in bat taxonomy and is currently involved in
biodiversity surveys of the eThekwini region and the Eastern Cape. As a member of Bats KZN Leigh also
trains bat enthusiasts and professionals in field techniques.
Werner Marais (MSc) is a SACNASP registered Zoologist and is practising
full time as a bat specialist consultant with Animalia Zoological & Ecological Consultation CC. He has
over 7 years experience working intensively with bats and is currently pursuing a PhD in cave bat
ecology.
Stephanie Dippenaar is an environmental manager trading as EkoVler. Her
career involved employment at the universities of Namibia, Limpopo and Stellenbosch, as well as the Council
for Scientific and Industrial Research. Stephanie has been involved in managing various environment and
conservation related projects in Southern Africa, ranging from impact assessments for renewable energy to
management plans for endangered species centres. Since 2011 she started to focus on bat monitoring for
renewable energy projects and has since been working as a bat specialist on numerous pre- as well as
post-construction bat monitoring programmes.
SAWEA The South African Wind Energy Association has a seat on the
SABAA committee to allow better communication between the two organisations. SAWEA has a mission to
remove obstacles to the implementation of sustainable wind energy activities in Southern Africa. The
current SABAA-SAWEA representative is Liandra Scott-Shaw