Our Team

Jonathan is CER-K’s founder and organisational lead. He has managed restoration design at our Highland Hub since 2019 and successfully accredited Brackenhurst Botanic Garden and Forest as the first BGCI Botanic Garden in Kenya. Jonathan holds an MSc in Land and Ecosystem Restoration. In 2021, he became a Society of Ecosystem Restoration Practitioner in Training (SERPiT). During his studies, he recognised an opportunity and need to grow botanic gardens beyond the confines of the highland ecosystem. Jonathan has expanded our areas of work to global biodiversity hotspots by launching our Savannah and Coastal Hubs.

Andrew has a PhD in Botany, specialising in conservation genetics. He also holds an MSc in Botany (Population Genetics), and a BSc in Biotechnology. Andrew previously worked as a propagation specialist at Syngenta-Kenya Cuttings Ltd., and as a part-time lecturer in the Department of Botany at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi. Andrew designs and implements science-based approaches that promote the conservation, preservation, and restoration of degraded ecosystems.

Harrison holds an MSc degree in water technology, a joint program by the Wageningen University of Research, University of Twente, and Groningen, the Netherlands. He holds a BSc in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering from the University of Nairobi. Before joining CER-K, Harrison worked as a consultant for the Maa Trust, a non-profit organisation working with community-owned wildlife conservancies in the Maasai Mara. He monitored and evaluated community water projects built within the Maasai Mara region. He is now CER-K’s savannah restoration manager based in the Mara. Harrison is enthusiastic about learning new things, sharing knowledge, effecting change, and bringing long-lasting solutions to conservation problems. He aspires to see resilient, diverse, and functional ecosystems not just in the Mara, but also globally.

Victor is a seed scientist with 15 years of experience in project management, experiment design, seed analyses and seed value chains. He has an MSc. in Seed Technology and Business Management and he is a member of the International Society for Seed Science (ISSS). He manages CER-K’s Seedbank at our highland forest site. Victor comes to us with 12 years of experience at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, working on various donor-funded projects as a project officer and collaborating with stakeholders in conservation and sustainable use of Forest Genetic Resources (FGR).

Nicola has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the UK. She oversees graphic design, engagement, and marketing. Nicola joined CER-K to learn about indigenous plants and Kenyan culture. She uses her work to encourage people to reconnect with nature through artwork as they visit CER-K’s forests and gardens.

Maina has worked at Brackenhurst—now our Highland Forest Hub—for 20 years as the grounds manager. A Kikuyu cultural specialist on trees and shrubs, Maina is passionate about teaching people about indigenous trees and making sure that we are not just planting trees but looking after them while we grow. He manages the forest, planting trees and understories, and runs tree-planting activities with adults and children.

Shadrack is an upcoming environmentalist with certificate courses in computer engineering, nursery management, seed collection, and introduction to seed banking. He also has certified course badges in forest and landscape restoration and restoration site management. He is currently the nursery manager for CER-K and on an aspiring journey of integrating technology with ecology and the environment.

Emma holds a BSc in Geoinformation Technology from the Technical University of Kenya. Emma started her internship at CER-K as a research assistant and is currently working as our research consultant, practising Geographic Information System (GIS). Emma is involved in the creation of forms for data collection, data analysis, and manipulation and visualisation through interactive and static maps. Emma is passionate about GIS and is always eager to explore the endless possibilities of utilising this tool in the conservation and ecology sector.

Lucy holds a BSc in Biotechnology and did her thesis on plant pathology. She previously interned at the National Public Health Laboratories. She currently supports CER-K with biotechnological intervention in landscape restoration and conservation of biological resources, and works as the seed bank assistant. Her interests include biofertilisers, vermiculture, biopesticides, bioremediation, and biopharmaceuticals.

Tobin holds a BSc in Plant Ecology and Environmental Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). He is inspired as a botanist to conserve plant life so that we can be able to sustain and achieve our sustainable development goals and protect the earth's environment by protecting and restoring degraded land.

Michael is passionate about learning and expanding his knowledge about resilient ecosystems and restoration.