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…
The Kimberley Biodiversity Research Symposium (KBRS) is an annual meeting that aims to share knowledge and research about biodiversity in the arid Northern Cape biome. The KBRS was established 19 years ago and has become a popular event on the symposium timetable regionally. The co-hosting organisations have responsibilities and interests in the Northern Cape, including…
The idea behind what was to become the International Savanna Science Networking Meeting was conceptualised in the early 2000s after a small group of scientists met at Shingwedzi camp in the Kruger National Park to discuss issues related to rivers. The meeting has gone from strength to strength and during March 2023, the 20th SSNM…
Following a two year Covid-related break, it was with much excitement that the 4th Garden Route Interface and Networking (GRIN) Meeting convened at Pine Lake Marina outside Sedgefield from 11 to 13 October 2022. GRIN provides a space for researchers, managers, policymakers and practitioners from around the world to share experiences, approaches and insights related…
108 peer reviewed papers were published on research conducted within national parks, with more than half of these including SANParks authorships Research represents a highly structured and rigorous form of learning. An additional level of robustness can be built into research findings when these are subjected to scientific peer-review, i.e. when scientific experts with specialised…
Efforts to address South Africa’s past and present injustices are advancing through embracing a duty of care approach in the white paper on conservation and sustainable use of South Africa’s biodiversity that can improve conditions for nature and people alike Communities in Africa do not always have fair opportunities to benefit from wildlife. For instance,…
In addition to biological heritage, SANParks is active in protecting cultural heritage. The past year had many highlights, like the ongoing excavations at Letaba, implementation of the SANParks electronic cultural heritage collections system, restoration of stonewalls at the Thulamela site, and starting the process to declare two sites in Kruger as national heritage sites Progress…
Although some people travel from far, participation in SANParks week in Kruger National Park is mostly local, with many repeat visitors. People come to see animals and meet new people, and despite concerns to the contrary, the increase in visitor numbers during SANParks week does not negatively impact overnight guests SANParks Week started in 2007…
Elephant dung harvested from Kruger is distributed to traditional healers living adjacent to the park to share benefits and to build positive relationships and connections. Elephant dung is a popular ingredient of traditional medicine, healing a variety of ailments Elephant dung is widely used in Southern Africa to treat headaches, nose bleeds and assist young…
A corridor for the safe movement of species between Tankwa Karoo National Park and the Cederberg Wilderness Area has been created The goal of the SANParks land acquisition framework is to acquire conservation-worthy land through purchase or other means to conserve ecological systems and patterns. In the Tankwa Karoo there is a vision to create…
Much of the rich natural history of the Kruger National Park has been inventoried in the Skukuza Museum-Herbarium facility, which houses ~25 000 biological specimens. The reference collection serves as an invaluable and indispensable asset to the Kruger National Park and all those who visit. Post-covid, the Skukuza Biological Reference Collection has received substantial attention…
Fire is a widespread and natural disturbance in most sub-Saharan ecosystems. It can have positive and negative effects on an ecosystem. The disturbance caused by fire can lead to nutrient cycling and cause positive changes in vegetation structure and composition. However, when fire is mismanaged or uncontrolled, it can be detrimental to the ecosystem. In…