15 – 19 JULY 2019, Stellenbosch, South Africa  The Southern African Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (SAPECS) invites Masters’ and PhD students doing research at the interface of ecosystems and society to attend an introductory course on social-ecological systems, to be hosted by the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST) at Stellenbosch University. The field of social-ecological systems aims to support responses to the challenges of global environmental and societal change, particularly in terms of supporting improved environmental stewardship and addressing pressing challenges of poverty and inequality. Students and researchers who are studying these issues [...]

Science and management co-learning to navigate social-ecological issues  17-19 September 2019  Pine Lake Marina, Sedgefield, South Africa  Background: The Garden Route Interface Meeting (GRIM) is an annual event taking place in the Garden Route and providing a forum for researchers and practitioners interested in better understanding and managing (or navigating) social-ecological systems (SES) and their complex interactions and feedbacks. Three types of interfaces are of particular interest: human-nature (social-ecological systems), theory-practice (scientists and managers), and social-natural (sciences). Previous meetings: The 2017 and 2018 meetings each attracted >70 delegates and key discussion themes during these meetings included the establishment of [...]

Congratulations to Professor Karen Esler from the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology at Stellenbosch University for finishing in second place in the South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA). This is the 15th edition of this prestigious event that celebrates outstanding women researchers and scientists. This year's theme was 'leveraging science, technology and innovation to enhance inclusive growth and development.' The awards aim to recognise the excellence of women scientists working in South Africa, profiling them as role models for younger scientists.  Karen was honoured for her research in ecology, specifically ecosystem restoration and invasive biology, where [...]

The Young Scholars Spring School follows the 2nd Garden Route Interface Meeting (2-4 Oct 2018) and will build on the same theme of “science and practice colearning to navigate complex social-ecological issues”. The main aim will be to stimulate and capacitate young scholars (master to post-doc levels) interested in social-ecological systems (SES) and transdisciplinary research. Participants will be exposed to a broad spectrum of approaches and methods that can be used to design social-ecological studies as well as hands-on study design in collaboration with peers, managers, experienced academics and dedicated mentors. The school will help to strengthen the [...]