FROM THE EDITOR
W
elcome to the third edition of Grassroots! This edition comes with a
change. With Josef's term as editor having come to an end, I have been
elected into this position now. The rest of the editorial committee remains
the same. Hopefully my transition into editor position will be a smooth one. Thank
you, Josef, for all you have done for Grassroots!
6
things to look
forward to in
this issue:
After a successful GSSA congress held at the ARC Training Centre at Roodeplaat in
July, we share some memories through photographs, a summary of the conference
and the presidential address. Looking back at the 53 rd GSSA
Congress
In this edition we also have 2 feature articles; the first one looks at a way to be re-
sourceful with some field equipment. Russell et al. have worked with developing
a homemade radiation shield and discuss the complexities and uncertainties for
measuring ambient temperature in the field. The second feature article presents
the research of Mwendia et al. who has looked into the challenges and opportuni-
ties for forage feed systems in East Africa. How eating seaweed can help
cows to belch less methane
As usual, we have a wide range of news articles ranging from the good news of the
newly enacted Indalo Game Reserves Protected Environment, a 68 075 ha conser-
vation area in the Eastern Cape and getting to know more about SAEON’s Lower
Orange River Riparian Project to some more concerning news on bush encroach-
ment and the impact of shothole borer on our trees.
We have included an “upcoming events page”. Please, if you are organising or
know of any event of interest, and would like the Grassroots community to hear
about it, contact us with the details and we will include it in the next issue.
Thank you to those who contributed to this issue – we would love to hear from
more of you, please keep those articles coming.
Facing a 6 th mass extinction
event
A tiny beetle and deadly fungus
threatening South Africa’s trees
Positive effect of community-
based conservation on wildlife
Biological control of invasive
tree species in South Africa
Happy reading!
Janet
Proud supporters
of Congress 53
Grassroots
Vol 18
No 3
September 2018
02