Grassroots Vol 20 No 3 | Page 3

From our editor < NEW Welcome to Issue 3 of Grassroots for 2020. The GSSA recently held its 55th and first virtual congress. The organising team did a fantastic job of ensuring that the quality of the congress remained intact and that the virtual platform allowed for great conversation and debate. In this issue, Debbie Jewitt and her team share some of the "curveballs" thrown their way and give a few pointers on organising a virtual event. Grassroots also welcomes the new president, vicepresident and council members of the GSSA. Congratulations to all the award winners and those rising to the challenge of participating in a virtual congress! Let’s keep on finding innovative ways of sharing our research amidst a global pandemic. Highlights of this issue In a preliminary study, Rina Grant asks an interesting question on whether thicket patches in the Eastern Cape have any value. Richard Gill gives us some great insights on underground trees of the Highveld. We learn more about the recent deaths of more than 350 elephants in Botswana, and a new study showed that painting eyes on the backsides of livestock can protect them from being attacked by carnivores. Grassroots introduces a special series of articles on the history of South Africa’s research stations. The first of this series is a lovely piece by Trevor Dugmore on the Cedara research station. He shares many photos taken around 1912 and it is amazing to see how times have changed (and how researchers used to wear suits or dresses whilst working in the field!). Lastly, we have a new Grassroots team. I have taken over from Janet Taylor as Publications Editor and we welcome Charné Viljoen to the team as Sub-Editor. Janet stood in as Sub-Editor for this issue to help make the transition smoother. Thanks for all your guidance and support, Janet! Enjoy the read! Best regards Malissa Editorial Committee Editor Malissa Murphy Sub-Editors Charné Viljoen Janet Taylor Layout and Design J.C. Aucamp Administration Erica Joubert Contact us If you have any feedback, comments, or suggestions, feel free to contact us at: [email protected] @GrasslandSocietyofSouthernAfrica Despite the care and attention that we devote to the structure of this newsletter and the information it contains, the Grassroots Editorial Team cannot guarantee the completeness and accuracy of the data. The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial team. Grassroots Vol 20 No 3 September 2020 02