Kirsten is the Deputy Director: Conservation Programmes at Wildlands Conservation Trust, currently managing a team of admin and operational staff who coordinate a number of restoration and community conservation projects across the country. She joined the Trust in 2013 as a GIS professional practitioner and data manager and has moved through the ranks of project management and coordination to fulfil her current role.
Over the years, Kirsten has managed projects employing thousands of young people across the country and has mentored various team members and interns that have joined the organisation. As a Geographer, she is passionate about the interconnectedness of systems in the environment and the bringing together of diverse components to more effectively implement projects in the conservation sector.
Kirsten grew up in the KwaZulu Natal midlands, and after school, completed a master’s degree in Environmental Management. She made the move from the corporate sector to the conservation NGO sector and has not looked back. Outside of her professional environment, Kirsten is a professional photographer, taking her time off to explore the world and photograph expedition races in remote corners of the globe.