6 AUGUST

iNaturalist has become a powerful citizen science tool, and with (as of June 2024) 4.5M observations of almost 44k wild species in southern Africa, an indispensable data source for research, planning and management in biogeographical, conservation, phenological and climate change sciences. Although iNaturalist data can be accessed via GBIF, or downloaded directly, it is crucial to understand the definitions and limitations of the data available. This workshop will introduce data users to the quirks of the iNaturalist data, as well as the tools needed to clean and prepare the data for downloading, how to obtain additional information, and how to encourage and enlist citizen scientists to contribute specifically to your research or management projects. The identification-curation tool, data quality assessment, filtering data, accessing observation fields and project design will be addressed. This is an intermediate level course, and wont deal with data extraction and manipulation via APIs and programming. Participants are expected to have signed up, and contributed at least a dozen observations to iNaturalist, and to have an interest in exploring and using citizen science data. Please bring your laptop to the workshop.

6 AUGUST: The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) Partnership plays a crucial role in fostering collaboration, advocacy, learning, and communication among a diverse group of stakeholders and role players across the floristic region. Its primary objective is to successfully and sustainably conserve the unique biodiversity of the CFR, building upon the legacy of the Cape Action for People and the Environment (CAPE). The Partnership aims to create a platform for voluntary engagement, fostering collaboration at multiple scales. Over the past year, progress has been made in establishing the foundation of this successful partnership. The upcoming workshop provides an opportunity to consolidate and broaden participation among those actively involved in safeguarding the Cape Floristic Region. During the workshop, we will update our progress and explore future directions on certain working group themes. Key areas of focus include strengthening relevant research, promoting volunteerism, implementing integrated alien and fire management strategies, and supporting the green/biodiversity economy. These conversations will contribute to the working groups that are being formed to optimize community involvement and resource utilization. Agenda: 1.Welcome 2. Setting the Scene- Financing future CFRP activities 3. Overall update for CFRP: CFRP branding, Vision and Mission; Communication Plan; Action Plan; progress to date and next steps. 4. Introduction to the different CFRP working groups: o Communication – research and practitioners. o Integrated Fire and Alien Invasive Plant Management Comfort break o Green/Biodiversity Economy and Investment o Volunteerism 5. Break out groups on each of the above topics with a rotating leads. 6. Feedback and Synthesis 7. Close and thanks Dates for the AGM and Knowledge Exchange

Conserving 67 % of Cape Town’s Biodiversity Network

To visit Klipheuwel Corridor (including properties such as Damarakloof Conservation Area, Joostenberg Private Nature Reserve & Joostenbergskloof Conservation Area) roughly 25 km south of Technopark. These ‘new’ conservation areas showcase the challenges around urban conservation on the Cape lowlands in an immensely fragmented landscape where biodiversity is under extreme pressure. Despite the immense challenges, progress is being made with new Conservation Areas becoming established and species brought back from the brink of extinction. Both pro-active and reactive methods are being implemented to facilitate Protected Area Expansion within the most threatened ecosystems in the Cape.

Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden: ex-situ conservation in practise

The field trip will start at the Duthie Nature Reserve – a tiny urban alluvial remnant that perfectly illustrates the challenges of conservation in a highly transformed and fragmented landscape. We will then run through an overview of our conservation programme in practise and the realities and challenges of what even the first steps look like towards achieving global best practise in ex-situ population management and species recovery . SA has a massive gap between our ex-situ and species recover goals and actual achievement, and we’ll talk to both the need, and some innovative approaches towards closing the gap. Recommended reading: Hoban, Sean. ‘New Guidance for Ex Situ Gene Conservation: Sampling Realistic Population Systems and Accounting for Collection Attrition’. Biological Conservation 235 (1 July 2019): 199–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.04.013. Hoban, Sean M. ‘Saving Seeds: Optimally Planning Our Ex Situ Conservation Collections to Ensure Species’ Evolutionary Potential’. Academic. Forestry Service, US Dept. Agriculture, 2016. https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr963_051.pdf.

Jonkershoek Nature Reserve 

Join the SAEON and the Fynbos Node in exploring the Jonkershoek multiple catchment experiment, which has been running since the 1930s. It is the oldest experiment of its kind in Africa and one of the longest-running in the world. Extensive effort and investment have gone into refurbishing and upgrading monitoring equipment to maintain the long-term data record. SAEON has added additional equipment to the catchment, resulting in a comprehensive array for observing climate, water, carbon, and biodiversity. A lot of this data is readily accessible via the SAEON data portal.  The field trip will take us past several research sites and delve into the history of the catchment experiment. The Fynbos Node forms part of the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), funded by the National Research Foundation.