OBITUARY
Achieving the milestone of a PhD , which was conferred at UKZN ’ s April 2019 graduation ceremonies , followed a return to academic life for Jenny decades after her undergraduate and Honours degrees .
Granted the GSSA medal for her research tracking 60 years of woody encroachment in the Van Reenen ’ s Pass district , where her brother-in-law farms , Jenny had completed this research through UKZN under the supervision of Dr Michelle Tedder .
Working at sites made available to her by the farming community in Van Reenen ’ s , Jenny found that the level of encroachment decreased with increasing altitude , that the influence of grassland management regimes on woody species differed depending on altitude , and that climate , in particular temperature , was a likely driver of paperbark thorn ( Vachellia sieberiana ) distribution .
Jenny was extremely successful in securing funding for her PhD research and was published in the
African Journal of Range and Forage Science and the
South African Journal of Botany . Aiming to contribute to the scientific body of knowledge , Jenny was happy to see her publications gain citations , and was pleased and surprised to receive the GSSA award recognising her achievements .
After achieving her PhD , Jenny moved with her family to Wakkerstroom , Mpumalanga in 2020 where she established contacts with organisations she hoped to work with before a decline in health halted her plans .
A passionate birder , Jenny had joined and was active in the Wakkerstroom Bird Club , and applied to become an Honorary Ranger with SANParks before she fell ill .
Together with her husband , Jenny was active in the Anglican Church , serving as a Lay Minister .
Jenny is survived by her husband Peter , her son William who now works as an electrical and projects engineer in Johannesburg , and her daughter-in-law Elizabeth Badria , who joined the family in September 2019 , to Jenny ’ s delight . In addition , Jenny ’ s brother David lives in Gonubie ; her sister Lesley died while Jenny was in her late teens .
Jenny is remembered for her valued friendship to many , her sense of humour and the ability to find it even in the most unlikely situations , and quick smile .
“ For me , she was more than my wife , she was my closest friend and life ' s partner as we tackled life together ,” said Peter .
Jennifer Russell receiving The Grassland Society of Southern Africa medal for outstanding academic achievement for her PhD from Prof Kevin Kirkman recently .
The topic of her thesis was : Vachellia sieberiana var . woodii a high-altitude encroacher : the effect of fire , frost , simulated grazing and altitude :
https :// bit . ly / 3qznxJt
She was nominated for the award by
Dr Michelle Tedder of the University of KwaZulu-Natal : " I would like to motivate for Jennifer Mary Russell to be awarded the GSSA medal for outstanding academic achievement for her PhD .
Jenny produced an excellent thesis which received great feedback from her examiners and delegates when presented at conferences . She has also produced two journal articles and one popular article from her research .
Grassroots Vol 20 No 4 December 2020 06