Our Team

Director/Founder

Mike Chase, (PhD), has been studying the ecology of elephants in Botswana for nearly ten years, and in 2007, was the first Mostwana to read for a doctorate specifically in elephant ecology.

Much of his childhood was spent in the bush accompanying his father on safaris. Eager to conserve Africa’s wildlife and wild places, Chase embarked on an academic career in conservation ecology. After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Natal, he returned home to Botswana, where he spent eight years with Conservation International working to conserve the Okavango Delta and its rich wildlife. It was his passion for elephants which, in 2001, ultimately led him to start an ambitious study on the ecology and movements of elephants. He received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts in natural resources and wildlife conservation.

Mike has provided new data on the status of elephants and has published his work in scientific journals, magazines and news articles. At present, he is a Conservation Postdoctoral Research Fellow at San Diego Zoo Conservation Research.

Director/Program Manager

Kelly Landen joined the project in Feb, 2003. Her enthusiasm for wildlife inspired her to a dedicated career in conservation. She began as a volunteer, monitoring and collecting data on a variety of wildlife species for several conservation projects, as well as, worked as a naturalist/field guide in Alaska, Central America, and South America. Kelly is a licensed marine Captain, and crewed for several years as part of the UNOLS fleet of oceanographic research vessels, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Scripps Institute of Oceanography. The variety of projects she has worked with, have given her a well-rounded knowledge of field operations, organizational skills, and logistics.

Kelly oversees the project’s operations and manages public relations. She participates in all aspects of field work, is an aerial survey observer, and conducts the photo analysis of surveys. Kelly is a professional photographer and her work has been featured in a number of prestigious magazines, web sites, scientific publications and journals and news articles.

Field Support

EWB’s field support staff has many years of varied bush experience and is highly trained. They ensure comfort and security while operating in very remote areas, often under difficult conditions.

Esther and “Lucky Man” Frank, both having worked for many years with safari companies, are exceptional cooks, and ensure that we are always well fed and have rustic but comfortable amenities.

Themba , Howard, Zee and Doo offer logistical and operational support at the office base and during field excursions. They help with everything from maintaining, repairing and packing vehicles, setting up and breaking down camp, to making sure we have water and hot showers!