Staff
Specialist Museum Scientist
and Head of Department
Nico L. Avenannt PhD navenant [at] nasmus [dot] co [dot] za
Nico obtained his BSc (1988), BSc Hons (1989) and MSc (1993) at the University of Stellenbosch. He then qualified as Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology at the University of the Free State (1999). For this work he spent 14 months on Marion Island as Leader of the Biological Team and Deputy Leader of the Marion 49 Group. He started to work as a Scientist at the Museum in January 1995, where he is currently Head of the Mammalogy Department, a National Research Foundation (NRF) rated scientist and a Research Associate at the Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State. Nico has been actively involved with the formulation of new policies for the Museum, often representing the Museum at meetings and workshops, such as the National Biodiversity and Strategy Action Plan, Maluti Drakensberg Transfrontier Project, State of the Environment Report, Species Listing, Free State Game Indaba, Environment Summit, and refereeing projects and new policies for the National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) as well as the Free State Department of Tourism, Environment & Economical Affairs (DTEEA). He is also involved with national and international collaborative research projects, and lecturing and supervising of undergraduate and post-graduate students. He has conducted research over a wide area in Southern Africa (including the Karoo, West Coast Strandveld, Namib Desert & Skeleton Coast, Western Cape Mountains, Breede River valley, Free State Province, Qwa Qwa, Maguga Valley in Swaziland, and the Lesotho Highlands), the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands, and in Cambodia. Apart from publications in accredited journals, he has presented this research at 18 national and international conferences.
Nico is the Curator of the Mammal Research Collection at the Museum, where he is responsible for the collection’s systematic growth, relevance and accessibility for researchers internationally. The c. 13 000 specimens of this collection originate from all over Southern Africa. The Mammal Research Collection contains the largest collection of mammals from the Free State, Lesotho and the North-eastern Cape.
During his first few years at the Museum, Nico published mainly from data accrued during collecting trips and from his MSc thesis. Observations made during these trips, together with his introduction to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) in 1996, led to his current research field, i.e. small mammal community characteristics as indicators of habitat integrity – a novel idea during the late 1990s / early 2000s. This focus has grown to the point where he now collaborates with a number of specialists in other fields. In this field he has been the senior author in nine related accredited publications, three published abstracts, 11 technical (EIA) reports, 14 contributions at national and international conferences, has supervised two Masters theses, and has produced or presented 21 popular articles, talks or newspaper articles.
Nico has also contributed to the research field of predator-prey relations where, since 1997, he has been the author or co-author of seven related accredited scientific publications, two published abstracts, one MSc thesis and eight contributions at national and international conferences. He has published / presented 11 related popular articles, talks or newspaper articles.
In 2004 Nico started to merge these two research fields, an event that played a role in the launch of the comprehensive Canis-Caracal Programme in December 2004 (under the auspices of the African Large Predator Research Unit, University of the Free State) that addresses biodiversity conservation and human-wildlife conflict in the small stock and game farming industries.
Other contributions since 2000 in these two fields include the review of 21 manuscripts (for 13 accredited journals), 12 abstracts for conferences, one book, five species profiles (and compilation of two species profiles) for the Mammals of Africa (Kingdon et al. In press), acting as scientific advisor for the Mammals of the Southern African Subregion (Skinner & Chimimba 2005), and as contributor and compiler for the SA Red Data Book for Mammals (Friedmann & Daly 2004).
Further recent contributions include the evaluation of two applications for NRF evaluation, two applications for NRF funding, four project proposals for Earthwatch Institute and the Russel Small Grant, as well as proposals for the Centre for Environmental Management (CEM) at the University of the Free State (UFS), African Large Predator Research Unit - ALPRU (UFS), Department of Environmental Health at the Central University of Technology (CUT), and the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland. Nico has also contributed significantly towards a number of conservation or environmental management initiatives (see below), has acted as an external examiner for six related post-graduate studies and as advisor for two related Recognition of Prior Learning applications (CUT, and the University of Johannesburg).
Nico currently serves or has served on the following committees or forums: International Conference for Rodent Biology and Management; International Association for Impact Assessment, Free State Branch; Free State Conservation Forum; Free State Biodiversity Planning Steering Committee; Eskom's Multi-disciplinary Committee; the South African National Defence Force Regional Environmental Advisory Forum; various National Museum committees, e.g. Science Forum Committee (ex-chair), Heads of Department Works Committee (ex-chair), Collections Audit Committee and the Exhibitions Committee. He also serves on the Editorial Advisory Boards of The Open Conservation Biology Journal and Integrative Zoology, and on the Advising Board for the African Large Predator Research Unit, University of the Free State. He is a member of the Zoological Society of Southern Africa, as well as the South African Institute of Ecologists and Environmental Scientists.
Key assignments as Mammal Specialist: environmental assessments:
Seventeen assessments, including the following projects: Conserving Mountain Biodiversity in Southern Lesotho (for National University of Lesotho); Conserving Mountain Biodiversity in Southern Lesotho (for United Nations Development Project, UNDP); Baseline study for Mohale Dam, Lesotho (for Afridev); Monitoring programme at Mohale Dam, Lesotho (for National University of Lesotho); Re-introduction of Mammals at Letseng la Letsie, Lesotho (for National University of Lesotho); EIA and Comprehensive Mitigation Plan for Maguga Dam, Swaziland (for Afridev); Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Project (for Maloti Drakensberg Ecology Consultants); Strategic Environmental Assesment (SEA) for the proposed Senqu Sources Protected Area (for Strategic Environmental Focus), and Management Plan for the Senqu Sources Protected Area (for Strategic Environmental Focus).
Involvement with students (since 2000):
Lecturing at the University of the Free State (UFS): Third year zoology students (2000 - 2004); post-graduate students at the Centre for Environmental Management (2001 - 2009); fourth year students at the Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences (2005 - 2009).
Presenting seminars at the Museo Zoologico ‘La Specola', Florence, and at the University Museum, Pisa, Italy: "Using animal communities, with highlight on small mammals, as indicators of habitat integrity in some African ecosystems" (October 2003).
Field guide and lecturing for post-graduate students of the University of Leiden, Netherlands, during their field work excursions in South Africa, 2003 and 2004: “The role of mammals in Veld Management” and “Small mammals as indicators of habitat integrity”.
Supervisor: Three Masters students, Centre for Environmental Management, UFS; two Masters students, Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, UFS; one Masters student, University of Neuchatel, Switserland.
Currently supervisor for: One MTech student, Department of Environmental Health, CUT; one Masters student, Centre for Environmental Management, UFS; one PhD student, Centre for Environmental Management, UFS; one MSc student, Department of Environmental Geography, UFS; and one MSc student, Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, UFS.
External examining: One MTech for the Department of Environmental Health, CUT; four Masters and one PhD theses for the UFS (Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, and Centre for Environmental Management); one MSc thesis for the Walter Sisulu University (Department of Zoology); one MSc thesis for the University of Stellenbosch (Department of Conservation Ecology); one MSc thesis for the University of the Witwatersrand (School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences); evaluate a manual for the University of Johannesburg for the purpose of awarding a post-graduate degree to the applicant: “On problem animal control”.
Reviewer for national and international journals, books and conferences (since 2000):
Reviewed 27 manuscripts for: Navorsinge van die Nasionale Museum, Bloemfontein; Annals of the South African Museum; Durban Museum Novitates; South African Journal of Wildlife Research; Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa; African Zoology; Integrative Zoology; Mammalia; Wildlife Research; Acta Theriologica; Journal of Mammalogy; Belgian Journal of Zoology; IUCN Cat News; Bollettino del Museo regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino; Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Tropical Biology, Bonn; Australian Mammalogy.
Reviewed 12 abstracts for national and international conferences, and has acted as reviewer for the book Bats in Roofs (published by the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press), for the National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (the Species Listing website), and acted as scientific advisor for the Mammals of the Southern African Subregion (Skinner & Chimimba 2005).
Contributor to and compiler for the SA Red Data Book for Mammals (Friedmann & Daly 2004), and compiled two and reviewed five species accounts for The mammals of Africa (Kingdon et al. In press. Academic Press, Amsterdam).
Evaluated five project proposals for the South African National Antarctic Programme, Earthwatch Institute and the Russel Small Grant, and numerous proposals for the Centre for Environmental Management (UFS), African Large Predator Research Unit (UFS), the University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, and the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland. Acted as advisor for two Recognition of Prior Learning applications, and has evaluated two applications for NRF rating and two applications for NRF funding.
Other contributions towards conservation and environmental management initiatives include:
Free State Environmental Policy Initiative; Policy on the Management of the Environment; Re- and translocation of Game Animals; Introduction and/or re-introduction of game species in provincial and private nature reserves in the Free State Province; Management Plans for Free State nature reserves; Free State “State of the Environment Report”; Policy on the Environment (ESCOM); Management of caracal (West Coast Conservation Forum); Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (DEAT); Listing processes for appendix to the Biodiversity Act: Endangered Mammals, Alien & Exotic Mammals, and Invasive Species (South African National Biodiversity Institute / DEAT); Protocol for the measurement of sedated lions (African Lion Working Group); IUCN Wildlife Trade Program; and the Canis-Caracal Programme.
Nico has also played a significant role in developing the National Museum Contract Research Policy, the National Museum Promotion of Access to Information Act Manual, the collaboration initiative between the National Museum and the University of the Free State, and in finalizing a number of Collections Data Usage Agreements. The more than 20 popular publications, 40 newspaper articles and popular talks, involvement with the “Big 5” computer game and numerous permanent and temporary exhibitions are further testimony of his commitment to research-based education on all levels.
Assistant Museum Scientist
and Collections Manager
Jurie J. du Plessis MEM jurie [dot] duplessis [at] nasmus [dot] co [dot] za
Jurie obtained a BSc (Entomology & Zoology) at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein and obtained his BSc Hons (Zoology) at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Port Elizabeth. Returning to Bloemfontein in 2004, he completed an MEM (Masters in Environmental Management) at the Centre for Environmental Management (CEM), University of the Free State, and is currently busy working towards a PhD (Environmental Management). Jurie worked as a Learner Professional Officer at the CEM from 2004 to 2008, after which he was appointed as an Assistant Museum Scientist and Collection Manager in the Department of Mammalogy at the National Museum.
Jurie’s areas of expertise lie in sampling of small mammal communities, preparation and management of mammal specimens for Museum collections, ecology and management of predators and predator-prey relationships with emphasis on the livestock and game farming industry, biomonitoring of fish communities in rivers and ecology of fish communities in rivers.
He is a member of the International Association for Impact Assessments, South Africa (IAIAsa) and the Zoological Society of Southern Africa (ZSSA)
Preparators
Chief Preparator
Isak Sekhuni
Isak Sekhuni started his career at the Museum in April 1974, first as a General Assistant in the Department of Herpetology and in the Workshop. In 1975 he joined the Department of Mammalogy where he is still working, now as Chief Preparator. Isak has assisted with the collection of mammal specimens throughout the Free State, Lesotho and the northern parts of the Eastern Cape Province, in this way contributing significantly to inter alia the publications The mammals of the Orange Free State (Lynch 1983), The mammals of Sehlabathebe National Park, Lesotho (Lynch & Watson 1989), The mammals of the north-eastern Cape Province (Lynch 1989) and The mammals of Lesotho (Lynch 1994). Isak’s main tasks include: assistance during fieldwork, preparation of study material for inclusion in the Mammalogy Department’s Research Collection, assistance with the curation of this collection and the day-to-day running of the Department. Isak is also involved with some educational activities for visitors to the Mammalogy Department and for students at the University of the Free State. He often acts as interpreter between Afrikaans and Sesotho for Dr. Avenant.
Chief Preparator
Jacob Senoge
After three years as General Assistant in the Department of Herpetology, Jacob transferred to the Department of Mammalogy in October 1978, where he now is a Chief Preparator. Jacob has assisted with the collection of mammal specimens throughout the Free State, Lesotho and the northern parts of the Eastern Cape Province, in this way contributing significantly to inter alia the publications The mammals of the Orange Free State (Lynch 1983), The mammals of Sehlabathebe National Park, Lesotho (Lynch & Watson 1989), The mammals of the north-eastern Cape Province (Lynch 1989) and The mammals of Lesotho (Lynch 1994). His main tasks include: assistance during fieldwork, preparation of study material for inclusion in the Mammalogy Department’s Research Collection, assistance with the curation of this collection and the day-to-day running of the Department. Jacob is also involved with some educational activities for visitors to the Mammalogy Department, often acting as an interpreter between Afrikaans and Sesotho for Dr. Avenant.