Ceinwen Smith
South Africa
Program Director and Freelance Researcher
Ceinwen grew up exploring the wild lands and oceans of the South Peninsula in Cape Town, South Africa. Her passion and curiosity for exploring the natural world led her to pursue a BSc Honours in Environmental Science and Oceanography, at the University of Cape Town (UCT). During her studies she worked as an oceanographic researcher on two research voyages to Antarctica, collecting data towards her MSc in Physical Oceanography, and graduated from UCT in 2014.
Over the past 10 years, her studies and work have included researching phytoplankton in the turbulent Southern Ocean, teaching and mentoring undergraduate students in the savannah bushveld of the Kruger National Park as part of the Organisation for Topical Studies semester abroad program, and exploring the biodiverse fynbos and rocky shore ecosystems which make Cape Town so unique.
Ceinwen is currently the Program Director of Ingcungcu Sunbird Restoration which aims to reconnect plants, birds and people by planting indigenous fynbos gardens at schools to create stepping stone corridors for bird pollinators across the densely urbanized Cape Flats in Cape Town. Her current work focuses on the intersection of social and ecological systems within the context of urban conservation.
She is passionate about creating platforms for science, education and socio-ecological restoration to interlink, facilitating hands-on learning experiences in nature for urban youth, and inspiring a deeper connection to and responsibility towards nature for our individual and collective well-being.