Vanessa 
Rakolota

Masters Student - University of the Witwatersrand
South Africa, Johannesburg

I am a Bachelor of Science (BSc) and BSc Honours in Ecology graduate from the University of Mpumalanga, South Africa, where my honours project focused on understanding the effects of land use on the activity of bats in the Waterberg Mountain Complex, Limpopo, South Africa under the supervision of Prof. Daniel Parker.

My curiosity about bat physiology motivated my current research project as part of a Master of Science (MSc) in Animal, Plant, and Environmental Science at the University of the Witwatersrand. In this project, I aim to quantify patterns of seasonal acclimatization in subtropical fruit bats, using Epomophorus wahlbergi as a model species supervised by Dr Matthew Noakes. In addition to my research, I am involved as a teaching assistant for undergraduate courses and a mentor to first-year university students helping them navigate their academic journeys. I have participated in biodiversity sampling in the Kruger National Park under the Organization of Tropical Studies and a soils and vegetation sampling course under the same institution.

​I am deeply committed to fostering inclusivity, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among students and early career professionals in the field of bat research as such being involved in events that promote these values is a priority for me. Outside of my academic and professional pursuits, I enjoy hiking, birding, and experimenting with cooking. These interests allow me to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors while also exploring my creativity in the kitchen.

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