Nature community mourns death of YWP honorary officer

YELLOWWOOD Park and the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve bid a sad farewell to David ‘Dave’ Joseph who died at the age of 68-years-old on Friday night, 2 September.

He is survived by his wife, mother and sister.

Dave arrived in South Africa from the UK in 1973, where he worked for Republican Press and later Caxton CTP  as a quality controller.

But it was his passion for wildlife and nature that set him apart. His love for Africa saw him travel extensively and he camped in the most remote places in the African wild. David has been an Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife honorary officer based at the Yellowwood Park-based nature reserve for the past 16 years. His involvement at Kenneth Stainbank was focused on public relations as he was well-known.

According to those who worked with him he had a friendly personality, ideal for dealing with the public.

As a qualified nature guide, he passed on knowledge freely to fellow nature lovers over the years. He used his skills to volunteer his time and led regular monthly walks in the reserve over the last four years. He also initiated the building of a bird hide, which is a project that will be ongoing for the next few years.

He was known for co-ordinating many social events like the night braais and other informative talks for the public on topics such as snakes and birds. He united people through nature, creating lifelong friendships along the way for hundreds of people.

Loved and admired by many, he could be described as someone with a great sense of humour, fun and an interesting person who was always willing to help with whatever needed to be done. His friends say he always had a positive attitude and enjoyed teaching people about nature and the bush.

Despite his age or any hardships he endured, he remained active, fit and was always well presented. His death leaves a void in the community as well as Kenneth Stainbank nature reserve  but his colleagues and friends will strive to follow the fine example he set.