A bit about me

Until August 2001 I lived in South Africa, where I completed my three year National Diploma in Nature Conservation at Saasveld College, a satellite campus of Port Elizabeth Technikon.  Having grown up in a culture of Conservation, as my grandfather pioneered the concept of Conservation farming in the Karoo (semi-desert area of South Africa) in the 1930's and my father was Chairman of the National Resources Committee, my interest in this field was aroused at a very young age.  This interest never diminished and through my school years I started committees, such as the Wildlife Committee and the Ornithological Society, and during my vacations I worked for reserves in the area or on our farm, which incorporated both game and livestock farming.  Soon after completing my 12 years of schooling, I enrolled at Saasveld College, George for Nature Conservation.

This is a three year course, in which two years is spent gaining knowledge (the theory) needed in this field and one year is spent gaining experience (by working in a Reserve or Park).  Nature Conservation is the study of all the different aspects involved in the protection of natural areas and all its Fauna and Flora.  In order to do this one needs to not only have a clear understanding as to the biology of different species and the ecological processes occurring in nature, but also the ability to communicate with people, to build human relations and to educate people as to the importance of living a lifestyle that does not lead to the demise of any specie, such as through pollution or senseless exploitation of an area.  One also needs to have the expertise as to how to go about researching a certain organism in order to learn more about it, thus enabling us to protect the specie.

As part of my studies I went to East Africa to work and gain experience (in-service training semester).  Here I was exposed to various aspects of Conservation, such as capture, translocation and monitoring of problem leopards (which had been killing cattle on farms in the area), environmental education (with the American School for Field Studies) and research (with the Serengeti Lion Research Project).

I had the privilege to work in the Kruger National Park and De Hoop Nature Reserve in South Africa, giving environmental education, doing game capture, maintenance of infrastructure, human resource management, law enforcement, research, alien plant and animal control and administrational tasks.

On the 28th of September 2001 I married my German wife and started a life for myself here in Germany. As my Diploma in Nature Conservation was not accepted by the German ministry, I had to start from scratch. In order to feed my family, I took on any jobs I could get. These included delivering newspapers, delivering floors and working for a building company. Even though they would not have been my favourite choice of work, these jobs enabled me to learn German, learn how business is run here, about the German culture and the German people.

One day a friend of my wife asked me why (as a native speaker with experience in teaching and a person who not only has children, but has had lots of experience teaching children) do I not teach children English? So that is exactly what I started doing. Soon the parents of the children who came to my courses asked if I could help them, which I, of course, did. With time the news spread, other adults approached me, then companies and finally public schools in the area.

I have experienced wide diversity of jobs, cultures and countries. Together with my love for all humanity, this helps me to communicate with people from all walks of life. Furthermore, due to the necessity of having had to learn a new language (German) very quickly means that I am able to share my experiences and techniques with my clients, which has proved successful again and again.

Finally, I would like to thank all those hundreds of clients, here I speak not only of my private clients, but of those students at the public schools and the various companies where I teach or have taught. Without your help, diverse problems with the English language, feedback and advice I would not be as good a teacher as I am today. Over the years many of you have become close friends, helping me in the areas where you excel. You have become an important part of my life and I hope that I will have the privilege to make many more friends – who knows, you, dear reader, may be the next.