Andri Grobbelaar
Women in the Environment and Sustainability
Nominee's Province:
Free State
Project Name/Description:
Founder – Friends of Franklin Naval Hill Nature Conservation
A love for nature is what drew Andri Grobbelaar to nature conservation. “It was sparked by my family, but proper education ensured that it was established for life,” Grobbelaar clarifies.
“Further education helped me to better understand ecosystems, biodiversity and the pivotal yet small part humans play in the larger scope of this. Homo sapiens are part of nature and should not consider themselves apart from nature,” she states.
Grobbelaar holds a master’s degree in zoology (cum laude) and is the founder of the non-profit and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO), Friends of Franklin – Naval Hill Nature Conservation, in Bloemfontein.
“The idea to start Friends of Franklin originated in 2019, when I convinced a group of people living in the residential areas surrounding the Naval Hill Franklin Game Reserve to collaborate with the Mangaung Nature Conservation Services to provide extra feed for the giraffes and other wildlife on Naval Hill,” she reveals.
The need to add extra benefits for the wildlife and natural environment grew, therefore Friends of Franklin PBO was established in 2020.
Grobbelaar believes on a more feminine approach in solving nature conservation issues.
