Katlego Molehane thinks and dreams in green. She is obsessed with plants and gets excited by the idea of green technology for more sustainable living. Growing up in Seoding, a small town in the North West province with under 2 000 inhabitants, she became aware of the importance of the natural environment. She went on to study an Honours degree in Biology with Botany at North-West University.
 
Katlego was delighted to be chosen for an internship at the KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium, which falls under the South African National Biodiversity Institute. She will be working as a plant taxonomist and help with analysing plants and writing up research.
 
We spoke to her about her inspirations from the past and her hopes for the future:
 
What are you passionate about?
 
My passion is learning about plants and how to physically and scientifically curate them. I am interested in all aspects of plant taxonomy and want to add to my skill set in this career.
 
What inspired your choice of study?
 
Growing up in a traditional family inspired my choice of study because I have always wanted to know more about plants and their natural habitat.
 
What excites you about your internship?
 
What excites me about this internship is dealing with different specimens and increasing my knowledge of my field of study.
 
What are your expectations of this internship?
 
My expectations for this internship are to learn more about plant taxonomy and the skills necessary to work in that career.
 
What contribution do you hope to make towards a future in which people and nature thrive?
 
I hope to publish one of the most valuable scientific papers that promotes the importance of our natural habitat and its many different plant species that are useful in the medical and food industries. If people understand ecosystems better, they are more inclined to help preserve nature.
 
Who inspires you most and why?
 
My mother is my biggest inspiration. She started school late, but as she knew what she wanted, she completed matric and then her tertiary studies. This changed her life completely. No matter the circumstances she managed to thrive and conquer through hard work and dedication.