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GRIN 2023

  • Date: 10 October 2023 – 12 October 2023
  • Location: Premier Resort The Moorings, 1 George Rex Drive, Knysna

5th Garden Route Interface and Networking (GRIN) Meeting

The Garden Route Interface and Networking (GRIN) Meeting is an annual event taking place in the Garden Route of South Africa, providing a forum for researchers and practitioners (from anywhere in the world) interested in better understanding and managing (or navigating) social-ecological systems and their complex interactions and feedbacks. Three types of interfaces are of particular interest to GRIN deliberations: human-nature (social-ecological systems), theory-practice (scientists and managers), and social-natural (sciences).

Themes for GRIN 2023

The overarching theme of GRIN meetings is research and management for sustainable social-ecological systems. Examples of social-ecological systems that commonly feature at GRIN meetings are estuaries, protected areas, peace parks, agricultural landscapes, rural villages, cities and catchments. Presentation themes that have emerged to date and that remain relevant for future meetings are:

  • understanding of human–nature connections (including through the use of social media data, and post COVID-19);
  • strategies used to promote knowledge exchange among science, policy and practice;
  • sustainable resource use and balancing benefits and conflicts related to services from nature;
  • governance and management approaches for social-ecological systems;
  • monitoring and evaluation approaches for social-ecological systems;
  • resilience, adaptations and transformations in social-ecological systems; responding to climate and other drivers of change;
  • lessons from forums and processes that aim to promote co-learning, knowledge sharing and collaboration among diverse stakeholders; and
  • methods/approaches for studying social-ecological systems.

Call for Abstracts and Submission Deadlines

Both managers and scientists are invited to share their latest approaches, challenges, insights and findings. We encourage all contributions to be grounded in practical real-world management, e.g. by including a final slide that explains the relevance of the findings/concepts to management. GRIN meetings provide for four types of contributions:

  1. 20 – 30 minute keynote and/or synthesis presentations (invited or selected from abstracts received)
  2. 12 minute presentations
  3. 5 minute speed talks
  4. Posters: A1 size (59.4 x 84.1 cm) in either portrait or landscape orientation.

Abstracts of no longer than 300 words should be submitted by 30 June 2023 to Nerina Kruger at [email protected]. Please use the abstract template and indicate presentation type, title, authors, presenting author, and affiliation details. Once all abstracts have been evaluated, a programme will be finalised and uploaded/circulated. Accepted abstract will be collated and made available to delegates in an electronic book of abstracts.

Venue

The venue for GRIN 2023 is The Moorings, a Premier Resort in Knysna. The Moorings is situated right next to Knysna Estuary and offers a truly GRIN-like ambience, excellent meeting facilities and a variety of accommodation options.

Payment of Registration Fees

Registration fees include attendance, teas and lunches for all three days, and a symposium dinner at The Moorings.

Payments are due by 15 August 2023. Banking details for payment of registration fees:

Account Name: Mpumalanga Promotions Events
Bank: ABSA
Branch Code: 632005
Branch Address: ABSA Nelspruit, 20 Paul Kruger Street, Nelspruit
Swift Code: ABSAZAJJ
Payment Reference: Please use your surname/GRIN as your payment reference e.g. Smith/GRIN

Please email your deposit slip/proof of payment to Jackey Deacon at [email protected].

Accommodation

Delegates are responsible for making their own accommodation arrangements.

Various options are available at The Moorings at 5% discount for delegates (mention that your booking is for attending GRIN 2023).

Organising Committee

  • Nerina Kruger – SANParks
  • Alta De Vos – SAPECS & CST
  • Herve Fritz – CNRS & REHABS
  • Chloe Guerbois – SRU, REHABS
  • Jessica Hayes – SANParks
  • Stef Freitag-Ronaldson – SANParks
  • Dirk Roux – SANParks
  • George Sekonya – SRU, NMU
  • Izak Smit – SANParks

Hosting Organisations

South African National ParksSouth African National Parks is the agency responsible for managing the 19 national parks in South Africa. The agency depends on scientific research to promote evidence-based decisions and effective conservation management. It supports hundreds of research projects across its parks, conducted by both external academics and its own researchers. Traditional strengths in ecological research is increasingly complemented by social and also social-ecological studies.
CNRSThe CNRS is involved through its Institute for Ecology and Environment (CNRS-INEE), that runs the French Long-Term Social Ecological Research Network (Zones Ateliers). The CNRS-INEE coordinates the Hwange LTSER in Zimbabwe. It supports SES research at Nelson Mandela University (George Campus), now through a Mixed International Research Unit (CNRS/NMU) aimed at promoting long-term social-ecological research in southern Africa. The CNRS-INEE hosts the French component of the Future Earth programme.
SRUA locally and internationally relevant centre for ecosystems and society, the Sustainability Research Unit (SRU) at the Nelson Mandela University collaborates in user inspired research, teaching and learning, and community engagement. The unit is home to a community of critical thinkers who recognise the need to cross the boundaries of the social and ecological disciplines in order to promote sustainable management of social-ecological systems.