SAEON Fynbos Node builds solid foundation for future growth

The recently established SAEON Fynbos Node is hosted by SANBI at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town. Dr Nicky Allsopp, Manager of the SAEON Fynbos Node is determined to get the Node off on the right footing.

The recently established SAEON Fynbos Node, headed by Dr Nicky Allsopp, is becoming firmly rooted for future growth in SAEON’s three main areas of operation: observation, information and education.

A key activity over the past two months has been consultation with various stakeholders to find areas for possible future collaboration, learn from their experiences and build networks for the future. Nicky found visits to her new colleagues at the SAEON Ndlovu Node (savanna biome) and SAEON Elwandle Node (coastal-inshore region) both informative and instructive.

She attended two meetings around data management in the City of Cape Town, which mainly centred round the development of tools to share spatial information over the internet.

At the Royal Society of South Africa conference, “Looking back, Looking forward”, on 17-18 April, she presented a poster entitled “Observing Environmental Change: Informing the Future” on the Fynbos Node. From 22-23 April she attended a workshop on developing a science plan for the Department of Science and Technology’s Global Change Grand Challenge, where she presented one of three SAEON submissions.

Strengthening capacity in science

Nicky’s meetings with research managers and researchers have highlighted the severely depleted science capacity in South Africa, and ways to encourage scientists to collaborate.

Nicky submitted a call to the Fynbos Forum community for submissions to assist with bringing collaborating scientists to South Africa. A French student, Pierre Corroyer, arrived to assist with data collection for the South African component of Evidence Based Policy project.

Email contact was established with Sharon Hall of Arizona State University, who also works at the Phoenix LTER, on potential collaboration on atmospheric nitrogen deposition with SAEON and the University of Cape Town.

On the invitation of French National Institute for Agronomic Research (INRA) she will participate in a submission to the American Academy for the Advancement of Science for a special seminar on “Plurality of Science and Connectivity between Research and Policy Making” at their 2009 Congress.