Reserve brings in Scotts’ skills

THE NamibRand Nature Reserve (NRNR), a privately owned nature reserve in southern Namibia, has two new wardens, the reserve announced recently.

The couple, Mike and Ann Scott, will be based at Keerweder. Previously, the reserve was management by Nils Odendaal and Danica Shaw. NamibRand said Odendaal and Shaw will move to Windhoek to form the executive management of the reserve.Odendaal, who is the Chief Executive Officer of NamibRand, and Shaw, the Environment and Research Warden, said the Scotts have extensive experience in nature conservation. Mike was the manager of De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Western Cape for 10 years and thereafter became manager for the Overberg district. Prior to this, he managed two freshwater hatcheries.At the same time, Ann was employed in Cape Nature Scientific and Communications section. In 2007, she obtained a doctorate for her work on the conservation of the African black oyster catcher. The couple are co-ordinating the Namibia Blue Crane Project in the Etosha area and the NamPower/Namibia Nature Foundation study on the impacts of birds on power lines. In July 2007, the NamibRand reserve opened a vulture hide and restaurant and an environmental research centre. Last year, some cheetahs were released into the reserve.