OBITUARY
Obituary – Dr Jenny Russell Christine Cuénod
Current address : University of KwaZulu Natal E-mail Address : cuenod @ ukzn . ac . za
Dr Jenny Russell ( née Grant ), the most recent recipient of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa ( GSSA ) medal at the University of KwaZulu-Natal ( UKZN ) for outstanding academic achievement , awarded for her exceptional PhD in Grassland Science , passed away in October 2020 .
The third child of Peter and Hilda Grant , Jenny was born in George and grew up in the George and Knysna areas with her older siblings , brother David and sister Lesley .
Schooled in George , Jenny attended the Convent followed by Outeniqua High , although the pursuit of her first love of horses and riding meant she was involved in school activities only when obliged . Her teen years were spent exploring the forests around George on horseback , often equipped only with an apple for lunch on day-long outrides .
It was on horseback that Jenny met her husband Peter when he was working in Mossel Bay and riding with a friend at Tantivvey stable yard outside George where Jenny ’ s horse was stabled . Taking Peter on a ride through the forests she loved ended in a dinner invitation from Peter , and the two were married on 28 January 1978 in George ’ s St Mark ’ s Cathedral .
Keen on jumping , dressage and crosscountry events , Jenny participated in local shows , playing polocrosse with a team in Knysna and continuing to play with the Shongweni Club after moving to KwaZulu-Natal .
Jenny completed her undergraduate and honours studies in biological sciences at the then University of Natal in the 1980s , her Honours project involving a study of bush encroachment in the Hluhluwe Game Reserve .
Jenny went on to work for The Valley Trust as an ecology education facilitator , before spending several years focusing on motherhood after her son William was born in March 1988 . Hesitant yet excited at the prospect of becoming a mother , Jenny continued riding as late into her pregnancy as she could , and described the birth of her son as bringing absolute joy . Turning to storytelling as an offshoot career , she became a professional battlefield guide in KwaZulu-Natal , where she passionately shared the beauty of South Africa and vivid battle stories with foreign visitors .
Spending much of her time in Isandlwana , Rorke ' s Drift and Fugitives ’ Drift , Jenny began to consider re-entering a career that involved working with the natural environment . Encouraged by UKZN ’ s Professor Pat Berjak , she decided to enrol for a master ’ s degree .
Professor William Bond , after showing Jenny a book by David Rattray comparing paintings done during the Anglo Zulu wars with modern photographs , suggested a study comparing the vegetation change in the intervening years , and Jenny embarked on the project under the supervision of Professor David Ward , her battlefield experience and knowledge of the area providing access to a suitable supply of photographs from the war years .
Figure 1 : Jennifer Russell
05 Grassroots Vol 20 No 4 December 2020