I have been fascinated by invertebrates in general and arachnids in particular all my life. In 1975 started The Spider Club of Southern Africa with 5 other people. Spiders from the Ethiopian region are my forte but I am interested in and have a passing knowledge of much of the southern African fauna and flora. In 2000 my husband John and I published a book Spiderwatch in Southern Africa which was revised and reprinted as Spiders of Southern Africa 2003. The South African nature conservation TV magazine programme 50/50 uses me to identify and explain the behaviour of spiders and other arachnids. I've authored and co-authored a handful of papers on spiders and liaise with professional arachnologists around the world.