Merlyn is a Conservation Biologist at heart and Ornithologist by profession. Her career focus is in sustainability and natural resources management in Africa for the betterment of communities and economic growth. As an African in the field of conservation science, she is not only passionate about the scientific pursuit but also that of equality, transformation and inclusivity in science and more so in natural resource management. As an African woman, she sees herself as a storyteller seeking to tell African conservation stories in a representative and just way. In her work, she is a strategist and she endeavours to create spaces of learning and mentorship for young people and women through initiatives like the youth birding club that she founded and the One Woman's Legacy Scholarship for African Women in Conservation, which she authored. Merlyn is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town studying The Movement Ecology of Jackal Buzzards around Wind Energy Facilities in South Africa. Her life goal is to bridge the gap between science and communities for the development and implementation of socially relevant policy frameworks, and the adaptation of communities to climate change and natural resource sustainability. In her spare time, she is a blogger/writer/poet, photographer and loves to read and travel.