60th Annual Congress of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa

​The 60th Annual Congress of the Grassland Society will be held from 21 to 25 July 2025, at ANEW Hotel Hilton, Hilton, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Abstract submissions are open and you are hereby invited to submit your abstract/s via Oxford abstracts​.

Congress 60 Abstract Topics:

• Arid and Desert Ecosystems
• Biodiversity and Conservation 
• Climate Change and Carbon 
• Communal Rangelands 
• Fire Ecology 
• Invasive Species 
• Livestock and Game Management 
• Planted Pastures and Feeding Ecology 
• Rangeland Ecology and Management 
• Restoration 

Take note of the following:

• The abstract submission deadline is 09 May 2025
• Please read the Abstract Submission Guidelines under documents before submitting your abstract

FIRE WORKSHOP

21 JULY 2025

Fire Science Methodology: best practices for measuring Fuel, Fire weather, and Fire behaviour

Overview

Standard methods in connecting fuels, weather, and fire behaviour to fire effects in grassland and savanna ecosystems. Methods are focused on collecting and interpreting data up to and including the point of combustion.

·       Destructive and non-destructive sampling to estimate fuel load in grassland vegetation

·       Sampling to estimate live fuel moisture

·       Logging data to record air temperature, windspeed, and relative humidity on the fireline

·       Using thermocouple and data loggers to sample fire temperature and rate of spread within the burned area

Who should attend?

The workshop is aimed at graduate students and early career professionals in research and management positions.

Facilitators

Dr Devan McGranahan (USDA Agricultural Research Service, Montana) and Dr Carissa Wonkka (University of Florida)

For more information contact the administrator at info@grassland.org.za

WORKSHOP

25 JULY 2025

Nature-based solutions in rangeland management: strategies to protect, manage, and restore ecosystems to address societal and environmental challenges, benefiting both people and nature

Overview

Nature-based Solutions are being promoted as a silver bullet approach to mitigate disaster risk, enhance climate resilience, and improve development outcomes around the world.

New interventions are far-reaching, and often enmesh diverse actors, species, landscape elements, technologies, spatial scales, social institutional and policy processes. Yet, much of the evidence of how to translate principles into practice comes from the Global North, from urban, wetland and forestry interventions. What are Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the Southern African context, and how do we make sense of their penetration into policy frameworks and the dynamic rangelands and grassland landscapes where we study?

What research framings, collaborations, and knowledge engagements are needed to understand the suitability and feasibility of NbS in reducing disaster risk and climate change vulnerability? What methodologies are required to evaluate claims that NbS can achieve desirable interlinked social, economic, and ecological outcomes together across diverse rangeland and grassland environments? How should we design research on rangeland NbS that integrates ecological concerns alongside questions around governance, social justice, market access and more?

This workshop invites participants from across social, natural and physical sciences and members of communities of place and practice to critically examine the debates and questions surrounding approaches to NbS – exploring their assumptions, promises, technical and scientific limitations, and implications for land politics and communal

governance in diverse, productive equilibrium and non-equilibrium socio-ecological systems.

Accordingly, we invite you to join and contribute your own insights to this interdisciplinary research workshop on NbS in African Rangelands. The facilitators will draw on three recent and ongoing research projects into NbS interventions, namely the Resilient and Equitable Nature-Based Pathways in Southern African Rangelands (REPAiR -https://repairproject.org/​), the Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Resilience (PASTRES - https://pastres.org/​) project, and finally the Mega-Living Landscapes Research from the Convivial Conservation project (https://www.convivialconservation.com/​). In particular, we hope to bring together disciplinary and thematic expertise spanning the social sciences (development studies, resource governance, political economy of climate adaptation, political ecology, human geography), natural sciences (rangeland ecology, biogeography, invasive species, botanical biodiversity and taxonomy) and humanities (anthropology, sociology, environmental justice).

Facilitators

Dr Amber Huff (Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex) and Dr Adrian Nel (Geography, University of KwaZulu-Natal), with key contributions from Prof Kevin Kirkman, Dr Linda Pappagallo and Dr Frank Matose

For more information contact the administrator at info@grassland.org.za

For more information contact the administrator at info@grassland.org.za

The Grassland Society of Southern Africa values the growth of young scientists in the field of Range and Forage Science.

To encourage student participation, the society offers a number of student sponsorships for the annual congress.

Sponsorship offered

Sponsorship for 2025 includes full Congress and all teas, lunches and dinners from Monday Meet and Greet to Thursday gala dinner.

Accommodation, i.e. bed & breakfast is NOT included.

Transport to and from the venue is NOT included.

Criteria for Selection

Only students attending the Congress for the first time and presenting either a poster or a platform presentation are eligible to apply for sponsorship. Posters in the research proposal session qualify.

Sponsored students will be obliged to assist the Organising Committee and Congress Administrator.

Only applications received on or before 30 April 2025 will be considered.

Application process



Download the application form from the congress website under documents

Submit your application with all supporting documents by 30 April 2025 via info@grassland.org.za

Make sure you read the requirements to qualify for Students Sponsorships are stipulated on page 2 of the application form

Final matters

Applicants will be informed of the decision of the Organising Committee by mid-May. If unsuccessful, they will still qualify for the early bird student registration fee. Only a limited number of Student Sponsorships are available.

The decision of the selection committee is final

The committee reserves the right to make no allocation

A report must be submitted to the Congress Administrator within two weeks following the Congress.

For more information contact the administrator at info@grassland.org.za

The Trust of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa was created to support the Society and the broader discipline of Grassland Science. This discipline is seen as encompassing the understanding of natural systems used by wildlife and livestock, planted pastures and the people whose livelihoods depend on these systems in order to promote best practice for sustaining these systems into the future.

Towards furthering this aim, the Trust sees the fostering of communication and networks among students and professionals in these disciplines as a foundational activity. The Trust hopes to stimulate these through providing the means for groups from accredited Higher Education Institutes or Individuals to attend the annual Congress.



GROUP Sponsorship offered



Trust offers sponsorship up to a maximum of R25 000.00 to a group from a University or other HEI to attend the Grassland Society of Southern Africa's annual Congress 

The sponsorship is aimed to cover registration of a member of staff and two or three students. The balance of any funding can be used for transport or accommodation on receipt of a motivation. If the group wishes to utilize the contribution towards travel to bring more than three students using shared vehicles, these students are strongly encouraged to apply for separate funding for individual students.

Criteria for selection

The group will consist of a member of staff and two or three post-graduate students from an accredited South African Higher Education Institution. The staff member doesn't need to be the supervisor for all students. We will accept applications from staff employed by Research Institutes, even if they are not affiliated with a university. However, in such cases, they must act as supervisors for the students accompanying them. All people making up the sponsored group will present a platform paper or a poster at the congress. Recently enrolled students may present a Research Proposal in poster form. The subject matter of the papers and posters must be within the grassland discipline as broadly defined above. The abstracts must be accepted by the Local Organising Committee.

None of the members of the group are required to be existing members of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa. All members of the group will receive one year's free membership by attending the Congress. Various factors, including contributions to the grassland discipline, financial need, distance traveled to the congress, and broadening of the number of institutions represented at the congress, will be considered by the selection committee when making their decision. Applications from people who have not previously attended GSSA Congresses are encouraged. All Members of the group will attend the Congress for its entire duration (3 days). The funded group will be requested to write a short article on the congress for Grassroots, the GSSA's popular publication. This can cover any aspect of the congress (from fun to facts).

Application process

Applications must be received by the administrator of the GSSA (info@grassland.co.za) marked "Trust Group Sponsorship" by the 31 March 2025.

The Application must include the following:

● Name of University or HEI

● Full name, department where employed and position of staff member

● Full names, department, and degree for which registered, of 2 or 3 students.

● Title, authors and short abstract of each participant's presentation, indicating if it is a platform or poster presentation. If accepted, full abstracts must be submitted by 31 March 2025.

● A budget of costs for attending congress including registration, accommodation and transport (include details of mileage, vehicle hire costs etc. as relevant). Include any co-funding that you have available or hope to secure.

● A short motivation (no more than (no more than 500 words) of why this group deserves to be funded to attend the GSSA Congress.

Final matters

The decision of the selection committee is final

Trust reserves the right to determine the amount available for funding an individual group

Trust reserves the right to make no allocation

INDIVIDUAL Sponsorship offered

Trust offers sponsorship to cover registration fees for up to four professionals who are existing members of the Society to attend the Grassland Society of Southern Africa's annual Congress 60

Criteria for selection

The individual must be practicing in the field of grassland science as defined broadly above.

They must be a full member of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa.

They must have submitted an abstract for a paper or a poster to present at the congress.

The subject matter of the papers and posters must be within the grassland discipline as broadly defined above. The abstract will be evaluated for merit by the selection committee.

Financial need and broadening of institutions represented at Congress will, inter alia, be used by the selection committee to reach their decision.

Successful applicants will attend the Congress for its entire duration.

Application process

Applications must be received by the administrator of the GSSA (info@grassland.org.za) marked "Trust Individual Sponsorship" by the 31st March 2025.

The Application must include the following:

• Full name and position of applicant
• Name of employer or company or short description if self-employed  
• Title and authors of each participant's presentation, indicating if it is a platform or poster presentation (abstracts must be received by the Congress' due date).
• Detailed budget of costs for attending congress including cofunding.
• A short motivation (no more than 500 words) of why this applicant deserves to be funded to attend the GSSA Congress.

Final matters

The decision of the selection committee is final

Trust will inform the successful applicants within three weeks of the closing date

Trust reserves the right to make no allocation

For more information contact the administrator at info@grassland.org.za

The GSSA is thrilled to unveil an extensive array of sponsorship opportunities designed to cultivate mutually advantageous partnerships.

Elevate your brand's visibility among South Africa's top scientists, researchers, policymakers, ecologists, and agricultural experts!

• Congress Exhibition stand: Manned by one delegate – lunch and dinner and accommodation not included.

• Event Website Recognition: Sponsor's page with logo and link to sponsor's website.
• Logo Placement: On the program and in digital proceedings.
• Holding Slide Display: Logo on holding slide displayed between sessions.
• Grassroots Banner Ad: Inside the publication (210mm x 74mm) in the 'Congress' issue of 2025.

• Includes all Bronze benefits, plus:
• Congress Exhibition Stand: Manned by one delegate. Full Registration included. Accommodation not included.
• Grassroots Ad: A6 advert inside the publication in the 'Congress' issue of 2025.

• Includes all Bronze benefits, plus:
• Additional Congress Website Recognition: On the "Our Supporters" page with logo and link to sponsor's website.
• Congress Exhibition Stand: Manned by one delegate (attendance and accommodation for 3 night's included)
• Additional Banner Placement: In secondary venue, and other areas (e.g., outside, around tea, eating area).
• Social Media Acknowledgement: Sponsor logo on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• Grassroots Full-Colour Ad: A5 advert in the 'Congress' issue of 2025.

• Includes all Bronze benefits, plus:
• Enhanced Website Recognition: On the "Our Supporters" page with logo and link to sponsor's website.
• Congress Exhibition Stand: Manned by two delegates (registration and accommodation for 3 nights included)
• Enhanced Social Media Recognition: Sponsor logo on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, including logo embedded on Facebook cover image with "Supported by" in front of the logo.
• Additional Promotional Opportunities: Advertorial and/or publication in digital proceedings.
• Grassroots Extensive Ad Coverage: Full-colour A5 advert inside each issue of 2025.
• Logo on Congress Announcements.

A3 signs on tea tables saying "Proudly sponsored by XXX"; company flyers on tea tables.

All 'Bronze' benefits PLUS A3 signs on lunch tables saying "Proudly sponsored by XXX"; company flyers on lunch tables; introduction to the delegates at the lunch; attendance of one delegate at the conference for the day including lunch and dinner

All 'Bronze' benefits PLUS 5 minute talk at beginning of session PLUS company name (XXX) included in session name, e.g. "The XXX session on Global Change"; attendance for two delegates at the conference for the day which includes lunch and dinner 

All 'Bronze' benefits PLUS A3 signs on lunch tables saying "Proudly sponsored by (XXX); company flyers on lunch tables; attendance of two delegates at the conference for the day including lunch and dinner

All 'Bronze' benefits PLUS A3 signs on tables saying "Proudly sponsored by XXX"; company flyers on lunch tables; introduction to the delegates at the dinner

All 'Bronze' benefits PLUS A3 signs on tables saying "Proudly sponsored by XXX"; company flyers on lunch tables; introduction to the delegates at the dinner/poster session

All 'Bronze' benefits PLUS A3 signs on lunch tables saying "Proudly sponsored by XXX"; company flyers on lunch tables; introduction to the delegates at the dinner; attendance of two delegates at the conference for the day including lunch and dinner

Be our lead sponsor. Full Platinum sponsorship, plus conference is presented as "Grassland Society of Southern Africa, in collaboration with XXX".

We will procure branded pens with your logo on, one for each delegate

We will procure branded notepads with your logo on, one for each delegate

We will procure quality branded aluminium water bottles, one for each delegate

We will procure branded quality carry-bags, one for each delegate

All 'Bronze' benefits, plus attendance for one delegate (accommodation and registration included), plus a 5-minute talk at the opening of the day, plus flyers on tables plus A3 posters saying "Proudly sponsored by XXX"

All 'Bronze' benefits, plus attendance for one delegate (accommodation and registration included), plus a 5-minute talk at the opening of the day, plus flyers on tables plus A3 posters saying "Proudly sponsored by XXX"

The GSSA operates without any external funding, depending solely on the support from our members and sponsors to continue our mission. If you value the contributions and efforts of the GSSA, we kindly ask you to consider making a donation to help sustain our work.

It is our firm belief that your support represents an investment in the future of range an forage management in southern Africa and we would be honoured if you would accept our invitation to be an integral part of the Grassland Society of southern Africa's conference.

If you are interested to support the conference in the form of any of the above sponsorship opportunities, we invite you to contact:

Minette van Lingen

Administrator: Grassland Society of southern Africa (NPO 053-937)

Email: info@grassland.org.za

Ph: +27 82 8252 088