Benji Ngumbao James Vanbaelenberghe

Benji was born and raised in Belgium, first in a urban area then a more rural area. He's had a lifelong curiosity for nature. Luckily for his parents, he loved to play outside, catching insects, climbing trees, and hiking. Upon entering college, he decided to focus on nature-management and nature-development. His primary interests lay in habitat-restoration and the recovery of ecosystems. His bachelor's thesis focused on the documentation and restoration of a historic farming area in rural Flanders. After graduating, he went to Kenya where he volunteered with A Rocha as a research assistant. There he studied the migratory patterns of waders. He also assisted on a coral restoration project in the coral gardens at Watamu National Marine Park. He considers Cape Town one of the most beautiful places he's visited, and is very excited to be working on the Urban Caracal Project. One of his goals working on the Project is to widen his horizons, and gain new appreciation for research and conservation in a new place. The skills he develops while working on the project will be essential to enhancing his own research after attending graduate school.

May 2016