Saasveld stalwart, Mike Cameron, retires
Saasveld stalwart, Mike Cameron, retires
For a person who is committed to making a difference and who has a keen interest in so many things, retirement simply means having more choices. This certainly rings true for Mike Cameron, who has contributed to shaping the minds and careers of hundreds of Game Ranch, Forestry and Conservation students who pursued their studies at Saasveld over the past 32 years.
committed to making a difference
Cameron started his career in the Department of Forestry in 1970 and spent most of the first ten years in the planning and management of the largest indigenous forests of the Garden Route. After a short stint as District Forest Officer of the Knysna district, he was transferred to the then Saasveld College for Foresters in 1980.
He attributes his passion for wildlife and conservation to the completion of a Forestry degree specialising in Nature Conservation at Stellenbosch, followed by an MSc degree in Conservation Biology at UCT in the early nineties.
“For more than 30 years I have had the privilege of experiencing first-hand the absolute fervour the future generations of nature conservators and foresters display. If I have played a small role in igniting this fervour, I am grateful”, he said.
A “willingness to make a difference” seems to capture his life’s philosophy. “I do not believe it is only knowledge that will solve the global meltdown that our generation has foisted on our children, but a willingness to make a difference”. “Our students are doing just that” he added.
Asked about his proudest moments, he without hesitation stated that it’s “… when Saasies achieve the highest accolades in their various careers, corporate management, academia, sport, hobbies and family”.
Saasveld has seen many amazing changes during Cameron’s tenure – both as a Technikon Campus (from 1986) and now a fully- fledged University Campus of NMMU (since 2005). “The changes led to exciting challenges and I foresee Saasveld being the centre of academic excellence for the Garden Route,” he concluded.