Message From Michelle: A Fond Farewell

Dear BBSA Community,

As many of you may know, I officially retired from SANBI and as the Biodiversity Biobanks South Africa Lead at the beginning of November 2024.

This was not an easy decision for me. The BBSA is an incredibly important and exciting initiative, with an energetic and engaged community behind it. It took us a while to get going, but we’ve accomplished a lot together, and there are still so many fascinating projects still to do. This next year will be an interesting one for the BBSA, and I’m looking forward to big things.

But running both the BBSA and the NSCF, and doing other work at the same time, has also been a challenge. And it’s meant that I have had very little time to do my own research or to get out into the field – and even less time to spend on doing the things I love, like walking and hiking in the mountains I call home.

That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on the BBSA, though. I will still work on the review of the biodiversity biobanks in South Africa (which is one of the deliverables in the BBSA Business Plan and is needed for the National Biodiversity Assessment), and I will assist with manuscripts on the inventory and gap analysis. So I will still have some involvement in the BBSA, and I’ll still be a part of the BBSA community.

(I also have an Honorary appointment at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and lots of new millipede species to describe, so I will be keeping busy…but hopefully without the stress associated with leading big national networks.)

SANBI is still in the process of recruiting a new BBSA Lead. In the interim, the project is in good hands: Dr Mudzuli Mavhunga of the SANBI Indigenous Plant DNA Biobank will be the acting Lead. She’s been an integral member of the community for years, and she knows firsthand the challenges of running a biobank. Mudzuli can be contacted at M.Mavhunga@sanbi.org.za.

Never forget: The strength of the BBSA is in our community. Thank-you to everyone who has participated in all our meetings and activities to get the BBSA going, and who has helped to get us to where we are today. Thanks also for the ideas, inputs for reporting, and the work you’ve done to build your biobanks.

I hope that you will all keep contributing to the BBSA. With your help, we will continue to grow and become a sustainable and powerful network – and ensure that the biobanks are valued for their contributions to conservation, food security, and the health and well-being of society.

Thank you for everything. 

All the best
Michelle