As a Nature Conservation official with 35 years of experience dealing with cycad permit inspections and investigations, I realized that without a practical, easy-to-use identification guide, plants are incorrectly identified even by experienced officials. The need was then identified for the development of a practical identification key for Nature Conservation Officials. This key can also be used by the general public to identify cycad species in their gardens.
The photographs included in the books greatly assist in the
often difficult task of identifying species. Clear photographs of each species,
an identification key and the outstanding features of each species are included.
As Author: Cornia Hugo
Cornia Hugo was born in Naboomspruit in 1967. She has the privilege to grown up on a farm. Her passion for the wildlife and nature has led that she studied for the Nature Conservation Diploma in 1986.
Her career started at the Transvaal Conservation as a Nature Conservator Reserve Management and Environmental Education at Rustenburg Nature Reserve in Northwest.
During 1991 she was the first woman appointed as a Law Enforcement officer in the Old Transvaal Conservation. It was a very challenging and dauting task for her as a woman to be accepted in that career path. During 1994 she received an out of turn promotion to a Chief Nature Conservator.
During 1997 she was appointed to Agriculture and Rural Development as a Chief Nature Conservator in the Unit Pre-permit inspections, and problem animal control.
She was promoted during 2005 to Assistant Director and then later to Deputy Director General Investigations North.
She is a conservationist and dedicated to her passion cycads. She has gained extensive experience and knowledge in the 35 years dealing with permit applications in Conservation, especially with cycad applications. Because of her knowledge and expertise in cycads, she also gets called to testify in court as an expert witness on cycads for the Department.
Her responsibility as the manager in General Investigations is the managing and assisting of all permit inspections related to the Gauteng Nature Conservation Ordinance 12 of 1983, NEMBA: National Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004, TOPS Regulations of 2007 (Threatened or Protected Species Regulations) and CITES.
She is in the perfect position to experience passion through her work daily and provided her with significant inspiration to publish her two cycads book and the new cycad app Oct 2023.
During 2012 the first book was published. Identification of Indigenous cycads of South Africa, 2016 the second book was published, using cones to Identify Indigenous cycads and Oct 2023 she has launch the Cycad app. This the first cycad app available in the Cycad World with such a diverts information made available.
