Jamie hails from Johannesburg and although she grew up in the city, she’s always had a deep love for nature and animals. She completed a BSc in Zoology at the University of Pretoria and thereafter, itching to get out into the bush, completed basic field guiding qualifications and began guiding in the Pilanesberg National Park. Guiding gave her the opportunity to learn and better understand animal behaviour, which only deepened her curiosity about wildlife and conservation.

After realising that guiding was not giving her the on-the-ground conservation experience she was looking for, Jamie moved to Shamwari Private Game Reserve to work as a volunteer coordinator focusing mainly on basic reserve management duties. Thereafter she worked as a priority species monitor in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve, monitoring the iconic African Wild dog as well as cheetahs and lions with Wildlife ACT. This experience exposed her to the real challenges faced in conservation today, particularly those within predator conservation. Jamie decided that working with predators was what she wanted to do and went on to complete a BSc Honours, looking at causes of cheetah mortality, at the University of Witwatersrand.

Jamie is currently enrolled for a Masters degree with the Cape Leopard Trust and University of Stellenbosch, investigating predicted leopard movement corridors in the Western Cape and determining applied conservation strategies. She is thrilled to be living and working in the most beautiful province for the first time, and about being involved in leopard conservation and furthering her studies on this iconic predator. In her free time, you can find Jamie on the beach, playing around with her camera or looking for some birds and wildlife. She hopes to take full advantage of the views and mountains here in her new home!