I was going about my day when I got a message on Facebook, from a young lady who attended two consecutive years of SANParks outreach programmes. She told me she is in Matric and is now considering a career in Environmental Sciences & Geography after being inspired by our ‘Scientist for a day’ as well…
With the emergence of the novel Corona Virus 2 (SARS- CoV2), many conservationists and scientists have purported that human transformation of landscapes, allows for zoonotic disease to emerge. However, there are only a few papers with empirical evidence that support it, go on to propose potential mechanisms, or offer risk mitigation options; suffice to say that just excluding people from these “natural landscapes” is often not practical.
This month Dr Louise Swemmer’s research on social impacts of Mopane Worm harvesting in the Kruger National Park is featured in the Africa Geographic Magazine. Small scale, sustainable resource use projects allow for meaningful engagement between National Parks and its neighbours, always more than just the rands and cents value of the resource being shared,…
I started early, took my dog, And visited the sea; The mermaids in the basement Came out to look at me. This is the first stanza of Emily Dickinson’s poem ‘By the sea’ and I think that almost everyone who lives along the Garden Route can identify with it. How many of us make regular,…
As every good savanna ecologist knows, fire is a very important tool to promote ecosystem health, improve grazing quality and manipulate where and how animals use space. However, when it comes to using fires around tourism infrastructure and residential areas, managers and scientists tend to be a little more “cautious”, resulting in build-up of moribund…
Shortly before the national lockdown was implemented in South Africa, SANParks Scientific Services hosted the 18th annual International Savanna Science Networking Meeting (1 – 5 March 2020). Close to 200 delegates representing 88 different scientific and conservation organizations, and representing all continents with savannas, registered for the meeting. Many old-timers were greeted back (some having…
Listen to the narrated version of the Abstract below. Anyone clicking on this link before September 09, 2020 will be taken directly to the final version of the article on ScienceDirect, which they are welcome to read or download. No sign up, registration or fees are required.
On 8 June 2020, SANParks celebrated World Oceans Day. This is a day first honoured in 1992 by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and designated officially in 2009, to raise awareness of the vital importance of the world’s oceans. It is a day to honour and reflect on our relationship with the ocean and provides an opportunity to promote protection and conservation initiatives that help sustain the important resources and services that oceans provide to humankind.
The Covid-19 virus has been a shock to the system, that’s for sure. Especially for the health workers across the world that are working day and night to save lives. However, its not just western medicine practitioners at the front line, SANParks acknowledges the hard work of over 3000 traditional healers, working as primary health…
What did you see… or what didn’t you? The world has experienced a bizarre situation over the last few months. One which some, but most would never have imagined. A pandemic that has forced us to stop and take notice as a collective. While society’s priority and attention has been focused on trying to deal…
The way that we manage land influences species occurrence and interactions. However, in a recent study investigating species co-occurrence along the west coast of South Africa, Debbi and Nicola discovered that intensive management of small areas also makes it difficult to detect ecological drivers. The study was initiated in response land owner concerns that caracals…