Bishop Ngobeli, an award-winning nature conservationist, has made history once again by being the first-ever African to receive the prestigious award from World Urban Parks (WUP).
Recognised under the Emerging Cities Leaders category, Bishop received the nod for his sustained contribution to furthering urban liveability and sustainability through parks, open spaces, recreation and related endeavours.
“In a voluntary capacity, he is advocating for public parks in other African countries and is developing projects such as a Garden of Remembrance for those who died of Covid-19,” says the WUP, an international organisation representing vibrant urban parks, open spaces, and the recreation sector.
The Joburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) Conversation Manager is currently the President of the Institute of Environment and Recreation Management (IERM) in South Africa, an advocacy and networking group of professionals in biodiversity conservation. He is also a board member of WUP and chair of the Emerging Cities group.
He is one of the adjudicators of the Arbor City Awards run by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Chairperson of the Emerging Cities network, which works to develop liveable cities across the globe.
Bishop has mixed emotions about the award. “It’s something that I have been working so hard for in the past 15 years. The award is about showing that a young black person can achieve something significant in the world.”
He says the award encourages him and his team to be more dedicated to the upkeep of the City’s green lungs. “It’s important to lean towards people who have similar goals so that every day you wake up with the drive to make a difference.”
Although most of the City’s biodiversity was lost during the Covid-19 lockdown because of the illegal occupation of conservation areas and parks and overgrown invasive alien plant species, his team is working to turn the situation around.
“Our efforts were severely hampered during the lockdown, but we’re working around the clock to turn the situation around.”
Bishop hails from Itsani, near Thohoyandou in Venda, where he obtained a qualification in agricultural management before moving to the then Technikon Pretoria (now Tshwane University of Technology – TUT) to enrol for a qualification in nature conservation. He completed a B-Tech in nature conservation with the University of South Africa (Unisa). He also holds a certificate in Business Project Management from the Wits Business School and is a Certified Parks Professional from the World Urban Parks Academy at Indiana University.
The married father of Kona and Andisa, who enjoys hiking and picnicking, joined City Parks in 2005 as a Project Manager and has since developed countless parks across Johannesburg, including the Joburg Zoo’s 694-hectare Rietkuil Wildlife Conservation Farm on the banks of the Vaal River in Parys, Free State.
Written by Gontse ‘GeE’ Hlophe
04/02/2022