Let the journey continue – from intern to Junior Scientist: Khensani Nkuna When I started my internship in 2021 with the Scientific Services Department through the WWF Environmental Leaders Program, I had no idea that I would continue to live my dream of working in the Kruger National Park. More recently (2023) I became a…
Esi Bossman: the underwater entomologist I have been picking up insects for as long as I can remember! It is no wonder that I have unwavering love and passion for entomology! I studied at the University of the Witwatersrand, where I completed an MSc in freshwater entomology, focused on the functional feeding group classification of…
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Internship Programme aims to increase employability and help graduates transition from a learning environment into a working one by providing relevant work experience and skills development. The year-long internship is seen as a year of opportunity and growth. Through careful evaluation and screening of applicants, WWF links potential candidates with…
Five staff were hired on the new project funded by the JRS Biodiversity Foundation. This project focuses on modernising SANParks’ biodiversity data management systems and mobilising data for management and policy use. The JRS project team are based at the four Scientific Services nodes and are collating data and knowledge from multiple parks. Daniëlle has…
Dr Luthando Dziba, affectionately known as Dr D by some, was Managing Executive of Conservation Services for almost 6 years, joining us from the CSIR’s Ecosystem Services research group. During his time at SANParks (July 2017 to end March 2023) Luthando oversaw Scientific Services, the largest of five units under his guidance. With a strong…
In our ever more hurried working lives with its constant interruptions and ever accelerating busy-ness, the time for ‘deep work’ is squeezed constantly. For scientists, this often means that keeping up with the latest research, engaging intensely and philosophically with new published papers and contemplating what this means for and in practice, takes place in…
SANParks Veterinary Wildlife Services hosted a Wildlife Conservation Physiology and Disease Workshop, providing an opportunity for research groups to collaborate and for postgraduate students and early career researchers to learn from experts in their field SANParks’ Veterinary Wildlife Services hosted a Wildlife Conservation Physiology and Disease Workshop in partnership with the Brain Function Research Group…
On 1 March 2023, for the first time in South Africa, a central repository, Biodiversity Biobanks South Africa (BBSA), was launched to conserve and manage biodiversity samples. BBSA brings together biobank managers from a diversity of fields to form a network of institutions dedicated to improving the quality of, and access to, samples from plants,…
Article Written by Clement Arendse & Ian Russell In 2022/23 SANParks undertook a reassessment of the distribution and abundance of the endangered Knysna seahorse in the Knysna Estuary. The study entailed using SCUBA to undertake counts of seahorses along approximately 200 underwater transects, each typically 30 m long and 2m wide, positioned throughout the estuary,…
Article Written by Clement Arendse & Ian Russell Knysna seahorses, an Endangered estuarine fish, occur only in the Knysna, Keurbooms and Swartvlei estuaries, with the largest and most stable population thought to occur in the Knysna system. In 2022, the Featherbed company in Knysna made a generous donation to SANParks to support research on the…
South Africa’s Integrated Coastal Management Lekgotla convened experts and stakeholders from government, academia and diverse institutions to exchange experiences and insights on integrated coastal management challenges. This pioneering platform, the first of its kind, benefits both South Africa and the African continent. The second Lekgotla, held in February 2023, followed the successful 2019 event and…
The Southern African Marine Science Symposium, Africa’s premier marine science conference, took place in Durban in June 2022, with good representation from SANParks’ Cape Research Centre and Alison serving on the scientific committee. The symposium united passionate researchers interested in cutting-edge technology and environmental challenges. Focused on exploring the connections between past and present marine…