Karin Spottiswoode has, over the past 24 years, dedicated her life to blazing trails for women where only a few brave men dare venture.

Having initially qualified and practised as an occupational therapist, she spent many years working mostly with cerebral palsied children.

“This provided me much fulfilment, but I discovered my true passion when I became involved in nature conservation and environmental education,” she says.

“I have always loved the natural environment, walking and cycling in it, and gardening.

“We moved from Holland to South Africa, where I fell in love with my husband, Dr Steve Spottiswoode. He introduced me to the Magaliesberg, which is to this day still the most beautiful and interesting mountain I know.”

It did not take long for Karin to immerse herself in the world of nature conservation.

Karin set off on her conservation journey, qualifying as a Field Guides Association of South Africa (FGASA) level 1 field guide, and was a founding member of Friends of Kloofendal (FroK) in August 2002, where she introduced guided nature walks in the Kloofendal Nature Reserve.

“We initially did two-hour guided walks with qualified guides over weekends. This quickly extended to guided nature walks for school groups during the week.”

Today, the variety of themed walks and educational activities offered by FroK at the reserve is wide, covering everything from nature appreciation to invasive alien vegetation, frog and bat walks and much more, with Karin playing a pivotal role in their development.

She subsequently achieved her FGASA Level 2 and 3 qualifications.

“The nature experience we give the children in the field is something they all enjoy. It is educational and is not possible in a classroom.”

Karin and her FroK team have also been instrumental in filling the Kloofendal Ecological Centre with an extensive collection of specimens, collected mostly from the reserve.

“Over the years I became very aware of the problems caused by alien invasive plants (AIPs) invading the reserve and being present all over Johannesburg and areas of the Magaliesberg.”

From here, her well-documented drive to rid the reserve of AIPs grew, steadfastly supported by her husband.

Her continued study of AIPs has seen her conducting training for Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo staff and their Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers on the identification of AIPs, how to remove them, and how to distinguish the alien invaders from similar-looking indigenous plants.

It was through this work that she realised the need for a manual or guide towards identification and removal methodologies of AIPs, which culminated in the publishing of her book, Invasive Alien and Problem Plants on the Witwatersrand and Magaliesberg – Field Guide.

Meticulously researched and written over nine years, the book today plays an inextricable role in efforts to identify and eradicate AIPs in the Kloofendal Nature Reserve.

Over the years, Karin and Steve have become stalwarts of conservation and environmental education at Kloofendal and beyond, serving as inspiration to many young explorers aiming to make a career for themselves in the natural environment.