Eco-Pulse Team

Douglas Macfarlane Managing Member & Chief Scientist (Pr.Sci.Nat.)

Doug has a BSc in Wildlife science and an MSc in Environment & Development. He is a registered Professional Natural Scientist in the field of Ecological Science with experience in the corporate sector and consulting environment. He is amongst the leading wetland ecologists in South Africa and has been involved in developing a wide range of tools and best-practice guidelines. Doug is also at the forefront of offset policy formulation, and has gained extensive experience in the design and implementation of a broad range of wetland and biodiversity offset projects.  He also has extensive experience in ecological restoration, with a primary focus on wetland ecosystems both in South Africa and abroad.  Doug is a board member of the Society of Ecological Restoration (Africa Chapter) and supports the World Bank in preparing and overseeing several restoration projects. Doug also has a keen interest in biodiversity with experience in strategic biodiversity assessments and landscape-level planning.

Cell: 084 368 4527 | Email: dmacfarlane@eco-pulse.co.za

Ross van Deventer Senior Scientist: Aquatic & Wetland Ecologist

Ross has an MSc (Environmental Science) with training in integrated environmental management along with specialist training in the field of water resource management and aquatic science. His specialised training is further complemented by experience gained at Eco-Pulse through a broad range of wetland and aquatic studies. He is competent in the application of current best practise guidelines and assessments tools and has developed a sound experience base in water quality and aquatic and wetland ecosystem assessments. Ross has gained sound experience in undertaking specialist fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate (SASS5) assessments.

Cell: 072 570 4012 | Email: rvandeventer@eco-pulse.co.za

Shaun McNamara Scientist: Wetland & Aquatic Ecologist

Shaun holds an Honours degree in Environmental Water Management and an MSc in Geography (Fluvial Geomorphology). He has used his understanding of fluvial processes as a base to expand his knowledge of freshwater environments. During his time with Eco-Pulse Shaun has been involved in numerous freshwater ecosystem assessments in support of applications for environmental authorization and has experience in the compilation and management of Water Use Licence Applications. He has experience in wetland and riparian zone delineation assessments, functional assessments, and impact assessments. He is an accredited SASS5 practitioner and is knowledgeable in the analysis and interpretation water quality data. He is also familiar with the compilation of wetland management plans and the development and implementation wetland and aquatic ecosystem monitoring plans.  

Cell: 084 596 6078 | Email: smcnamara@eco-pulse.co.za

Ryan Kok Scientist: Wetland & Terrestrial Ecologist & GIS Specialist (Pr.Sci.Nat.)

Ryan is a Scientist and Wetland / Aquatic Ecologist at Eco-Pulse with a BSc degree in Environmental Science; BSc Honours and MSc degree in Biological & Ecological Sciences. He is a registered Professional Natural Scientist (Pr. Sci. Nat.) with >5 years’ experience, having worked extensively on numerous specialist ecological assessment projects, for wetland/aquatic habitats in KZN, the Free State, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and Mpumalanga. Ryan also has 8 years’ experience in GIS and environmental modelling, with extensive field experience in monitoring and analysing data. Since being part of Eco-Pulse Ryan has utilized his GIS skills in Environmental Management Frameworks, Wetland Inventories and Prioritization Assessments for major Municipalities. He is also experienced in undertaking alien plant surveys and developing ecological rehabilitation and management plans and ecological monitoring programmes.

Cell: 072 507 7868 | Email: rkok@eco-pulse.co.za

Angelique Lazarus  Scientist: Terrestrial Ecology

Angelique holds a BSc degree in Environmental Science, an Honours degree in Biological Sciences and a Master’s degree in Ecological Sciences. Her Master’s research focused on quantifying the success of a landmark restoration project in eThekwini Municipality by utilising a multifactor approach to analyse key ecosystem attributes. Angelique has an abundance of terrestrial specific expertise, gained working across a suite of novel projects, particularly with mammals. She is now developing her skill set while acquiring important practical knowledge in specialist studies working with Eco-Pulse.

Cell:071 609 7925 | Email: alazarus@eco-pulse.co.za

Meryl Steynberg Business Support Administrator

Meryl has an B Soc Sci (Hons ) degree and many years of administrative experience in various industries and at varied levels.  She is the person responsible for the “behind the scenes”administration  providing financial  and project management support to the consulting team. 

Cell:  084 514 7326| Email: finance@eco-pulse.co.za

Leo Quayle Associate Member: GIS Specialist & Aquatic Ecologist (Pr.Sci.Nat.)

Leo is an independent professional natural scientist and an associate of Eco-Pulse. He is registered with the South African Council of Natural Scientific Professionals (SACNASP) in the fields of Water Resources and Ecology. Primarily he is a GIS specialist with 18 years of experience and a broad interest in various environmental and planning fields. He has worked locally and internationally as a project leader, GIS specialist/environmental planner and aquatic ecologist. He has worked on a variety of environmental management projects focusing on strategic environmental planning, water resources and catchment management, risk and vulnerability assessment (with a focus on land degradation and climate change) and environmental information management. He has also worked extensively in the aquatic ecological space focusing on water quality, river health and biomonitoring. He has a strong interest in developing spatially intelligent software to support environmental management.

Cell: 082 669 9298 | Email: leo@geonest.co.za

Donovan Kotze Associate Member: Wetland Ecologist (Pr.Sci.Nat.)

The focus of Donovan’s training and professional work over the last 23 years has been on wetland ecology and the sustainable use of wetlands.  He has gained considerable experience in working in a great variety of wetlands under many different land-uses, from communal traditional use to intensively used private land.  He works mainly in South Africa, as well as working widely across eastern and southern Africa.  He is especially interested in wetlands within an agricultural context, and collaborates with many different government and non-government organizations.  He has worked extensively on the assessment of wetland ecosystem services and ecological integrity for a variety of purposes, including research, planning and monitoring and evaluation of rehabilitation and management projects, impact assessments and sustainability assessments.

Cell: 082 302 2228| Email: KotzeD@ukzn.ac.za

Stuart Dunsmore Associate Member: Water Resource Specialist (CEng; CWEM; PrEng)

Stuart is a registered professional engineer (RSA & UK) and a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager (CIWEM, UK). He has over 30 years’ in the water sector, mainly in river engineering, flood management, catchment analysis and stormwater management and specialises in sustainable engineering solutions. Over the last decade Stuart has been particularly active in urban surface water solutions and has collaborated with local and provincial government in Gauteng in the application and implementation of sustainable drainage practices, nature based solutions and urban catchment recovery. He is co-author of the recent City of Johannesburg Stormwater Design Manual (2019) and has designed the first regional constructed wetland treatment system for the City of Ekurhuleni. Stuart is a Director of Fourth Element Consulting and part of the Urban Rivers Alliance with Aqualinks and Eco-Pulse.

Cell: 082 579 9149 | Email: stuart@fourthelement.co.za

Kevin McCann Director: Conservation Outcomes

Conservation Outcomes is a non-profit organisation that is focussed on the provision of support and services to communally and privately-owned conservation areas.  The focus of the organisation is on securing remnant biodiversity, ecological integrity and resilience through the development of new protected areas, whilst contributing to meaningful socio-economic development in rural southern Africa through the development of the conservation and wildlife sector. We have been at the forefront of much of the innovation that has occurred in the area of biodiversity stewardship on private and communal land over the last 10 years.

Whilst Eco-Pulse seeks to ensure that biodiversity offsets are designed in line with emerging best-practice, Conservation Outcomes is well placed to provide further support in the declaration and management of protected areas established through the biodiversity offset process.  This partnership therefore facilitates collaboration from design through to implementation and long-term management and provides a platform for ongoing learning as best-practice continues to evolve.

Cell: 083 447 0657 |Email: kevin@conservation-outcomes.org

Robyn Phillips: Cossypha Ecological

Robyn has an MSc degree in Zoology and spent the first half of her professional career working in ecological research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in the Forest Biodiversity Research Unit. While she specialised in avifaunal ecology, she was also involved in several projects requiring ecological surveys of forests including both flora and fauna. She now has over 10 years’ experience as a terrestrial ecologist in the consulting sector where she undertakes biodiversity surveys and ecological assessments as part of the legislated requirements for the EIA process. She also has experience ion strategic studies including SEAs and is working together with the Eco-Pulse team to support the planning and implementation of biodiversity offsets.

Cell: 084 695 1648 |Email: robyn@cossypha.co.za

Sue Viljoen: Associate Member: Terrestrial Ecologist

 Sue is an independent ecological consultant who holds an MSc (Ecological Assessment) and more than 20 years of experience in the conservation sector, including a number of years in the Freshwater Programme in WWF where she worked at the intersection of sustainable agriculture and water stewardship. She has engaged landowners in many of her roles and has facilitated biodiversity stewardship processes. This places her in good stead for providing stewardship support for biodiversity offset implementation projects with Eco-Pulse, identifying suitable offset sites and securing their long-term protection.

Cell: 074 1140848 | Email: suejviljoen@gmail.com