We are delighted to confirm three excellent key note speakers for the congress programme

Professor Brian Huntley

Professor Brian Huntley is the founder and former chairman of the Southern African Botanical Diversity Network (SABONET), and with over R45 million in funding for its 10 participating countries, Brian has overseen a training and institutional development programme which has led to over 250 young African botanists and biodiversity technicians being trained, 26 of them to post-graduate level in 10 southern African countries.  Through this programme ,which has included field expeditions to Nyika, in northern Malawi, Okavango, Lesotho, southern Mozambique and the miombo of Zambia, Biran has taken young botanists to the very remote and exciting corners of our sub-continent.

 His major research contribution (1975-90) was in leading the conceptualisation, initiation and successful conclusion of major inter-disciplinary, multi-organisational ecological programmes (fynbos, savanna, karoo, forest, grassland).  These involved teams of up to 100 researchers from several dozen universities and research institutions, with budgets exceeding several million dollars and of up to 15 years duration.  Over 100 students completed their M.Sc. and Ph.D. studies through the programme, and over 1 000 papers published in national and international journals.  These programmes led to the publication, during the 1980s, of a series of comprehensive monographs on savanna, fynbos and karoo ecosystems, on inland water ecosystems, coastal dunes, wildlife management and on biodiversity.  As initiator, driver or editor of many of these volumes, Brian Huntley usually played a key role in ensuring that research results were made available to the professional community, through publication or public presentation.

During his period in Angola, he prepared development plans for existing and new protected areas and surveyed and monitored the wildlife populations from the Namib desert to the Cabinda Rainforests resulting in 28 reports on the conservation and management of the biodiversity of Angola, which continue to serve as the basis for current attempts to protect the country’s rich flora and fauna.  Huntley has overseen it's unprecedented growth to comprise eight national botanic gardens, three research centres, four major bio-regional programmes and more than 100 school-based environmental greening projects.

Caroline Lewis

Caroline Lewis is the Director of Education at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, USA. Prior to her joining the garden in 2002, Caroline spent 22 years as a science teacher and high school principal. At Fairchild she directs the education programmes which currently engages more than 55,000 K-12 students and thousands of adults, annually. 

Caroline designed and initiated the creative, competitive multidisciplinary Fairchild Challenge programme to promote, provoke and celebrate teenagers’ engagement in environmental issues. The programme provides opportunities for students, teachers and the community to improve their botanical and environmental awareness, scholarship, and stewardship. The Fairchild Challenge is spearheading a green revolution in schools everywhere and is now being emulated in several cities, nationally and internationally.

Born and raised in Port-of Spain, Trinidad, Caroline Lewis has a B.S. in biology, a B.Ed. in secondary school science and environmental science education and an M.S. in educational leadership. She has lived in Ontario, Canada and in New York City.  Miami, Florida has been her home for more than 25 years where she currently lives with her husband and two daughters, ages 17 and 18.

Stella Simiyu

Stella Simiyu is BGCI’s Global Plant Conservation Strategy Officer.  Stella is based in Nairobi, Kenya and is the project leader for delivering the  East African Regional Project on implementing the GSPC.  Stella trained originally as a high school teacher in biology and mathematics at Kenyatta University in Kenya.  She subsequently specialised in plant taxonomy and conservation for her Masters degree at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia.

Stella was previously a research scientist with National Museums of Kenya, where she was involved in developing a range of projects including integrated species conservation projects, regional training programmes in plant conservation for Eastern Africa and the Eastern Africa Network on Medicinal Plant Conservation and Sustainable Use. She is now seconded to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat from BGCI to facilitate the implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. 

As a project leader for the East African Regional Project on implementing the GSPC, Stella is responsible for developing capacity in biodiversity informatics in East Africa.  The aim of this is to gather taxonomic information to support conservation planning and sustainable use.  In addition, Stella works closely with BioNET International to develop tools and products related to alien invasive species, pests and pollinators to enhance agricultural production, reduce poverty and improve livelihoods. Stella is a member of the IUCN SSC Steering Committee, IUCN Plant Conservation subcommittee, GBIF subcommittee on outreach and capacity building and is an International Trustee with AROCHA International.