Matthew’s passion for South Africa’s incredible biodiversity was fostered in Betty’s Bay by his grandfather, a former biology teacher, and his father with whom he spent countless hours exploring the mountains and coastlines of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. He completed his BSc Honours degree in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in April 2019, and is currently completing a MSc degree in the same discipline.

While at UWC, Matthew spent several hours volunteering to assist his fellow lab mates on regular sampling trips to Koeberg Nature Reserve. During this time he also volunteered with NCC Environmental Services and assisted with the removal of a native invader, the guttural toad, in the suburbs of Cape Town. Shortly after completing his degree in 2019, Matthew was offered the opportunity to work as a field assistant on a collaborative project between Stellenbosch University and Ghent University. Through this project he sampled Cordylid lizard species across all 9 provinces in South Africa. In 2020 he was selected to assist on a Field Herpetology Survey conducted for SASOL Secunda, and in 2022 he assisted a fellow lab mate with the sampling of reptile communities at Tswalu Private Nature Reserve as part of the Kalahari Endangered Ecosystem Project (K.E.E.P). In April 2022 Matthew moved to Betty’s Bay to work as a Field Manager for Human Wildlife Solutions in the Overstrand region, where he led a team of rangers in their day-to-day management of urban baboon troops in the Pringle Bay, Hangklip and Silversands areas of the Overstrand.

Through his various fieldwork experiences thus far, Matthew has continued to nurture his growing appreciation for South Africa’s incredible biodiversity. Matthew joined the Cape Leopard Trust team in May 2023 as Conservation Field Officer. He is dedicated to conserving and celebrating our country’s biological resources, which includes our secretive and spectacular leopards.