The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) held its annual general meeting at Southern Cross Schools in Hoedspruit on March 26, 2005. A new committee was elected at the meeting. Adriaan Louw, Brian Serrao, Alan Yeowart, Fanie Fouche, Ian Owtram, Mark Stavrakis and Vanessa Strydom were elected to the committee.
Adriaan Louw was the FGASA chairman for 2003-2004. He is a FGASA accredited trainer and assessor. Brian Serrao heads up the marketing portfolio of FGASA and is the assistant to the chief executive officer. Last year he was the vice chairman of FGASA. Alan Yeowart works for Singita Game Reserve where he trains all the guides.
Fanie Fouche comes from the Eastern Cape, where here is the Eastern Cape FGASA chairman. He is the principal environment conservation officer for Ndlambe Environmental Conservation. Ian Owtram trains field guides at the Antares Field Guide Training Centre outside Phalaborwa. He was the chairman of the Lowveld committee for four years.
Mark Stavrakis trains field guides through his business the Limpopo Field Guiding Agency. Prior to starting his business he worked for Mabula Game reserve in various training positions. Vanessa Strydom works for South African National Parks, formerly as an environmental interpretation and education officer, and now as a quality assurance officer in conservation interpretation and guiding standards. As well as electing a new committee, an important item on the agenda was the proposal to make FGASA a section 21, non-profit, organisation.
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