I have always enjoyed the outdoors and all aspects of the natural environment. During my schools years my love for biology really began to develop and as a result I enrolled for a B.Sc. Zoology degree at the University of Pretoria. My interest in research was sparked during this time which led me to apply for an honours programme examining the effects of animal-facilitated nutrient transfer across an aquatic-terrestrial interface. Thereafter I undertook a Master’s degree in the Hot Birds Research group under the supervision of Prof. Andrew McKechnie and Prof. Stephan Woodborne. This project focused on modelling bird responses to past, present and future climates. This included examining both acute and chronic heat exposure of birds in the Kalahari Desert. I have recently been awarded my Ph.D., which was supervised by Prof. McKechnie and two additional supervisors, Dr. Susan Cunningham and Prof. Blair Wolf. The aim of my Ph.D was to develop a novel, integrative modelling approach linking the thermal landscape, heat and water fluxes and behavioural decisions and trade-offs for desert bird species. Ultimately, I intend to construct detailed models of survival and reproduction in bird species, which reduces the need for detailed species-specific empirical datasets.