Meet the Team

Dr. Justine Ewart-Smith is a senior freshwater ecologist with 24 years of experience in the assessment and management of aquatic ecosystems. Her expertise spans specialist biomonitoring, environmental impact assessments, and international EFlows studies across Southern Africa and beyond. With a PhD focused on the response of periphyton communities to flow and nutrient shifts, she specializes in translating complex hydrological drivers into actionable ecological management strategies.

Philip Frenzel-Daniels is a freshwater ecologist with eight years of postgraduate experience in freshwater ecology. He holds an MSc in Conservation Ecology from Stellenbosch University and is registered as a Professional Natural Scientist with SACNASP. His core expertise includes wetland and river delineation, ecological condition and sensitivity assessments, biomonitoring, water quality monitoring, impact assessment, and Water Use Authorisations. He has worked across the municipal infrastructure, conservation, groundwater abstraction, wastewater treatment, renewable energy and private development sectors, and has authored or co-authored more than 60 specialist reports.

Justin is ecologist with over 10 years of research experience in South Africa. He holds a PhD from the University of Cape Town and has spent three years as a post-doctoral research fellow, investigating climate-coupling and groundwater dependence in terrestrial and semi-aquatic ecosystems.

Janette joined Freshwater Consulting as an office administrator in 2018.  She has almost two decades of professional experience in various roles including data capture, website maintenance, office administration, bookkeeping, accounting software and software development, and she also owned her own small business for 5 years.

Kate graduated with an MSc in freshwater ecology from the University of Cape Town in 1998, and is a registered professional ecologist with the South African Council for Natural Science Professions (SACNASP). Her specialist skills lie in the areas of wetland and river ecology, freshwater macroinvertebrate identification and analysis, biomonitoring, wetland mapping and classification, conservation planning for the aquatic environment, and urban river and wetland management and rehabilitation. 

 Stuart loves being in soggy landscapes, trying to understand why they exist and how they function.  He obtained a Master’s degree in Conservation Ecology at Stellenbosch University. His thesis studied the recovery of indigenous fish populations following the removal of alien fish from the Rondegat River in the Cederberg.