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GRIN 2022

  • Date: 11 October 2022 – 13 October 2022
  • Location: Pine Lake Marina, Garden Route National Park, Sedgefield

4th Garden Route Interface and Networking (GRIN) Meeting

Due to COVID-19, GRIN 2020 and 2021 were cancelled. We believe that the prospects for having face-to-face meetings again have improved significantly and that we will be able to welcome you again at GRIN 2022.

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 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 2022

The overarching theme of GRIN meetings is research and management for sustainable social-ecological systems. Examples of social-ecological systems are protected areas, working landscapes, estuaries and catchments. Presentation themes that have emerged to date and that remain relevant for future meetings are:

  • The effect of COVID-19 on people-nature relations and sustainability;
  • Lessons and experiences from promoting co-learning, knowledge sharing and collaboration among diverse stakeholders;
  • Responding to climate and other drivers of change;
  • Governance and management approaches for social-ecological systems;
  • Monitoring and evaluation within 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 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:

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

Abstracts of no longer than 300 words should be submitted by 30 June 2022 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.

Post-meeting Spring School for post-graduate/early career researchers

Following the successes of the 2018 Spring School and the 2019 workshop, a post-GRIN Spring School is being planned for scholars interested in social-ecological systems research (provisionally from 14th October to 19th October). The Spring School is a unique opportunity for post-graduate students, scholars and practitioners, especially those new to the social-ecological space, to learn how to navigate a broad spectrum of methods and tools typically used in social-ecological systems research. The Spring School combines seminars with group-based field and research work, facilitated by a number of experienced social-ecological researchers.

The Spring School will expose attendees to a broad spectrum of methods, tools and challenges typically encountered in social-ecological systems research. Details regarding costs and logistics will be made available in due time.

If you are interested in attending, please contact Jonel Ackermann at [email protected] or Hervé Fritz at [email protected].

Registration

Registration has closed.

Accommodation

Delegates are responsible for making their own accommodation arrangements.

Various options are available at Pine Lake Marina at 10% discount for delegates (mention that your booking is for attending GRIN2022). Please contact Margaret Speelman at [email protected] or +27 44 349 2200 for assistance.

There are also other accommodation options in the area, e.g. in nearby Sedgefield or at the Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp in Wilderness (approximately half an hour’s drive to the venue).

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.