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On breaking ground and breaking down barriers
The SAEON Summit came and went but has left a lasting legacy - it has changed the forward thinking of the participants.
The Summit provided a shared focus for scientists from a wide range of disciplines and was informed by well-prepared, high-level overview papers. The playing field for interdisciplinary and inter-organisational collaboration is now being prepared and this bodes well for the future of environmental management and research.
The agenda for the SAEON Summit 2008 will be informed by ensuing developments such as the appointment on 1 August of eminent ecologist Prof Tim O'Connor in a crucial position for SAEON – that of observation science specialist.
"National Science Week 2006 was a significant contribution to the breaking down of racial and class barriers and the building of a winning, mature and free South African nation."
Education
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SAEON is moving ahead with giant strides in Education Outreach. The annual National Science Week programme presented by SAEON in Phalaborwa has grown in impact and in reach.
The Week's activities clearly played a positive role in the Ba-Phalaborwa district overall, and had a far greater impact than simply being an exercise in science education outreach. This point is illustrated by the fact that the organisers, in building on the successes of the 2005 event, succeeded in attracting all the “town schools” of Phalaborwa but one. In contrast, last year's event in Namakgale failed to attract a single town school and was limited to township schools.
What is even more remarkable of this years' event is the fact that the town schools, which could be labelled as “wealthy and white”, travelled to Lulekani to attend the events inside the township. National Science Week 2006 was therefore also a significant contribution to the breaking down of racial and class barriers and the building of a winning, mature and free South African nation.
SAEON Ndlovu Node's education outreach officer is not resting on his laurels and has subsequently organised a highly successful first ADVENVIRO camp in partnership with the South African Wildlife College and the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. The next issue of SAEON e-News will report on this event.
"SAEON will be gaining an important partner in the Eastern Cape as Dave takes up his new position as Head of Scientific Services of the Eastern Cape Parks Board."
Nodes
Just as Angus Paterson took up his post as node manager of the newly named SAEON Elwandle Node for the coastal-inshore zone, we received the sad news that Dave Balfour would be leaving SAEON at the end of July.
Dave has laid solid foundations for the SAEON Ndlovu Node by establishing permanent partnerships with a range of relevant organisations, and by taking the lead in a number of initiatives, notably the annual Network Meeting of the Kruger National Park and the special session on Long-Term Research of the annual Congress of the Grassland Society.
He has also led the further conceptualisation of the node's configuration and proceeded with the staffing and infrastructure development of the node. His personal involvement in the Education Outreach programme was key to its success. Dave will be sorely missed, but SAEON will be gaining an important partner in the Eastern Cape as Dave takes up his new position as Head of Scientific Services of the Eastern Cape Parks Board. The recruitment process for a successor for Dave is on track.
Celebrations are in order for the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) for the hosting of a node for the marine-offshore zone. The node is crucial for the management of the large number of data sets held by MCM.
SAEON has held three meetings with MCM to discuss the establishment of the node and data management issues. An integral part of the discussions has been administration of the contract with the South African Data Centre for Oceanography (SADCO), which is hosted and serviced by the CSIR under guidance of a Steering Committee. Previously dealt with by another NRF business unit, the administration of the SADCO contract has now been transferred to SAEON. The administration is done on behalf of the members of the consortium. SAEON will henceforth sponsor the Higher Education Institutions' contribution to SADCO's management.
With the transfer of responsibilities to SAEON, the foundation for the integration of the SAEON node for the marine-offshore zone has been laid. SAEON has already engaged with SADCO about its role in the configuration of the node. The position of node manager will be advertised soon.
Whereas we are still unable to report any progress on a SAEON Fynbos Node, consultative processes to characterise the nodes for arid lands and for grasslands/forests/wetlands have started. The Institute of Tourism and Leisure Studies along with prominent ecologists of the University of North-West were contracted to run with the node for the arid lands. The results were workshopped as part of the Arid Zone Ecology Forum last month.
Unfortunately, the consultant appointed for the grasslands/forests/wetlands node was unable to perform his duties in a satisfactory manner, and has been removed from the project. This task has been taken over by SAEON's own staff. The results were workshopped at the Congress of the Grassland Society in July.
SAEON Advisory Structures
The prescribed 3-year terms of both the SAEON Advisory Board and SAEON Technical Steering Committee will expire this year. The Advisory Board has held its last meeting and the Technical Steering Committee's final meeting will follow soon. Both these structures have proved their worth and have added considerably to the development of SAEON.
A comprehensive progress report to coincide with the end of term of the committees will be published in due course, after which the new Advisory Board and Technical Steering Committee members will be appointed by the President of the NRF.
Khotso – we wish you well
In conclusion, all of us at SAEON would like to bid farewell to the outgoing President of the NRF, Dr Khotso Mokhele.
It is under Dr Mokhele's leadership and direction that life was breathed into SAEON. From the outset Dr Mokhele realised the need for, and scientific value of long-term observation and monitoring of South Africa's environmental systems, and the crucial input that could be derived from such an exercise into government policies and decisions. From 2001 onwards he has played a decisive role in the establishment and development of SAEON.
Dr Mokhele can indeed be described as a visionary with his feet on the ground. SAEON is privileged to have evolved and operated under the direction of a person of Dr Mokhele's calibre.
We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
