DEKAT DIGITAL 2019 - 2020

While still involved with the cranes on a peripheral level, Lindy has started or driven
several more initiatives. She is the relationship director for the Lewis Foundation,
a philanthropic family foundation that funds conservation programmes in South
Africa. Its current focus is attracting, skilling and retaining young people to work in
conservation. She is also a trustee of Nature’s Valley Trust, a non-profit organisation
that she co-founded in 2000 with her husband, James van Hasselt, which focuses on
conservation-related issues along the Garden Route.
Lindy says, “We could see there was enormous development pressure in that area,
and we adopted the same approach as with the cranes – to work from the inside out
on a multifaceted level.
“We work in environmental education, putting thousands of children through outdoor classrooms related to the
curriculum, and work closely with local eco schools. Community conservation programmes encourage awareness and
ownership of solutions and NVT’s extensive research programmes inform all of the above.”
Trust director Dr Mark Brown and his team host Master’s and PhD students from overseas and local institutions who
are producing and writing up their research, with assistance from international intern students and NVT staff. Lindy
says it’s critical that what they do is informed by research and then communicated to their key stakeholders. When
Lindy attended the ceremony for the Rolex Awards for Enterprise a few years ago, one of the keynote speakers was
Dr Sylvia Earle, the renowned American marine biologist, explorer, author and lecturer.
“She’d just been to Plettenberg Bay to launch The Plett Hope Spot and NVT was instrumental in working with the
Sustainable Seas Trust to establish it. We have grown our marine programme with a project funded by the WWF
Nedbank Green Trust, which looks at the environmental and economic impact of boat-based whale watching,” Lindy says.
Boat-based whale watching brings tourists, creates jobs and supports an ecotourism economy. “We want to understand
and quantify the economic benefits of that to the community,” she says. “We also need to understand at what point the
industry negatively impacts the whales and dolphins.”
But where is the tipping point?
“At a certain point there may be too many boats, with the result that the marine mammals leave the bay or breeding
is impacted. There is no point in killing the goose that lays the golden egg. We need this kind of research data to
engage the decision-makers to come up with the best solution for both wildlife and people.
“Ideally we would like to develop an integrated bay management plan that is drawn up and agreed to by all the
participating players,” she adds.
Over the course of 20 years, Nature’s Valley Trust has grown from a small idea into an impressive, influential
conservation organisation. A key component of NVT’s work is to nurture the next generation of conservation leaders.
“We mentor really talented young people via intern programmes. Our staff have also been encouraged to grow and
develop their careers,” Lindy explains.
“Our first intern is now employed at the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, our first director is now a
trustee of Nature’s Valley Trust, our second director is busy completing his PhD and our current director, Mark Brown,
has mentored and nurtured many young conservationists through their Master’s and PhDs.”
Lindy interprets Rolex’s perpetual spirit as a responsibility to pass on skills, passion, learning and opportunity to the
next generation. “Success for me is when something I have been involved in takes off and continues to grow without
my further input. Success is bigger than me, bigger than my dream.”
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