SAEON Graduate Student Network gears up for Indibano 2012

The Indibano will be held at the Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve, known for its splendid views. SAEON’s Graduate Student Committee is planning the best Indibano yet to celebrate SAEON’s ten years of research. The committee members are, from left: Melissa Boonzaaier, Tanja van de Ven, Caswell Munyai, Manqhai Kraai and Paula Pattrick. The Chairperson of BirdLife KZN Midlands will lead a field excursion through the Umgeni Valley where students will be able to see spectacular birds such as the narina trogon. Dr Beverley Damonse, Group Executive for Science Advancement at the NRF will deliver the opening address.

The 4^th official annual Indibano, hosted by the SAEON Graduate Student Network (GSN) committee will take place from 26 to 29 August 2012.

This year the GSN will be celebrating a special highlight - SAEON's 10 years of research - with the theme "Understanding our Changing World".

The Indibano will be held at the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSA), Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve, located in the heart of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands.

The decision has been made to keep the event small to facilitate networking among keynote speakers and delegates. A broad range of speakers include two SAEON staff members, Sue van Rensburg, Coordinator of SAEON’s Grasslands-Forest-Wetlands Node in Pietermaritzburg, KZN and Professor Tim O'Connor, Observation Science Specialist at SAEON.

Dr Beverley Damonse, Group Executive for Science Advancement at the National Research Foundation (NRF) will deliver the opening address. Other speakers include Dr Louis Celliers, a coastal scientist within the Coastal and Marine Competence Area at CSIR Natural Resources and the Environment; Damian Walters, Coordinator of the Wise Use of Wetland Resources Programme at MONDI Wetlands; and Eric Mlaba, Conservation Officer for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife based at the Maputaland Marine Protected Area in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

On-site training

The Indibano will provide students with exciting on-site training with a field excursion led by Craig Cowden, Wetland Division Manager at GroundTruth at the rehabilitation site of the Greater Edendale Mall Wetland. Furthermore Drummond Densham, Chairperson of BirdLife KZN Midlands, will lead a field excursion through the Umgeni Valley.

The 2012 Indibano will undoubtedly be an excellent opportunity for a limited number of GSN members to interact with leading researchers in a wide diversity of scientific and social fields.