The Garden Route Interface meeting is an annual event taking place in the Garden Route, providing a forum for researchers and practitioners interested in better understanding and managing (or navigating) SES and their complex interactions and feedbacks. The 2017 meeting attracted 75 delegates and important discussion themes included the establishment of long-term social-ecological research sites, methods for and challenges in studying SES, sustainable resource use, adaptations and transformations in SES, ecosystem services and benefit flows, ways in which people connect with nature, and advice for bridging science-management divides.

This year the meeting will be held at Pine Lake Marina, Sedgefield, South Africa on 2-4 October 2018 with the overall aim of promoting knowledge sharing, dialogue and networking related to learning about and managing SES. Both managers and scientists are invited to share their latest approaches, challenges, insights and findings.

Contributions aligned with the following themes would be especially welcome:

  • Use of social media to make sense of people-nature interactions
  • Intertwined nature of social and ecological systems – connections, feedbacks, models …
  • Management approaches – stakeholder engagement, cooperative management, adaptive management …
  • Knowledge and learning for resilient SES – social learning, knowledge co-creation, transdisciplinary research …

Abstracts on novel approaches and findings with distinct management application can be submitted for three types of contributions:

  • Posters: A1 size (59.4 x 84.1 cm) posters in either portrait or landscape orientation
  • Presentations: 5 min speed talks or 15 min presentations

Abstracts of no longer than one page should be submitted to dot@mpu.co.za by 31 May 2018. Please indicate authors, presenter, affiliation details and presentation type. A programme will then be finalised and circulated.

Registration fees are R 1,500 (payable by 30 July 2018) which includes attendance, teas and lunches for all three days. Various accommodation options are available at Pine Lake Marina at 10% discount for delegates, please contact Jeanne on 044 349 2200 for details https://www.pinelakemarina.co.za/accommodation.aspx