Our Interns

Jeremy Moonsamy – DST-NRF Intern

I am a BSc (Hons) graduate in Hydrology, currently completing my MSc in Hydrology with the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

My MSc research assessed the water use of natural vegetation in South Africa, using remotely sensed data. Under the supervision of Dr. Michele Toucher, we used satellite imagery and the SEBS model to estimate evapotranspiration and subsequently calculate water use coefficients, over all the naturally vegetated areas in South Africa.

During my internship here at SAEON (2019/2020), I hope to learn as much as possible and improve my knowledge and skills in the technical field. I have a keen interest in learning how to set up, deploy, operate, maintain and trouble shoot various types of equipment. I would like to assess the methods and systems used to set up and operate equipment.

This may help to possibly find ways to streamline and improve these systems. I would also like to tie my studies in Hydrology with technical aspects. My MSc dissertation was a desktop based study. This is why I am quite keen on being exposed to more ground/field methods, using cross disciplinary work which will allow me to expand my hydrological knowledge into evapotranspiration and carbon field studies.

My purpose and aim for my chosen field is to eventually be able to make a positive difference to the water sector of South Africa and provide better water and services for our people.

Sachin Doarsamy – DST-NRF-SAEON Intern

As a young child I have always had a fascination with the natural world, in particular plants.

My passion grew when I began my degree in Ecology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus. Exposure during this time to countless fieldtrips, brilliant lecturers, and diverse fields within science from rangeland ecology to entomology, vacation work in biocontrol, volunteering at Bews Herbarium (NU) and bonding with students with a similar views boosted my passion.

My honours project combined my interests for plants and insects. I investigated the changes in riparian vegetation and macroinvertebrates communities along river banks in the Umgeni System that were invaded and cleared of invasive trees. My master’s projects is a phylogenetic analysis of the genus, Wurmbea (Colchicaceae) in South Africa with the importance of floral scent chemistry for pollination.

During my university career I have been privileged to volunteer and work for the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW), be a research assistant for countless post graduate students, help feed data into the Karoo Biogaps project, and contribute plant records to an ongoing series of BioBlitz within KwaZulu-Natal.

Lastly, SAEON has a positive reputation amongst students as a place for growth and learning. My internship period will be a year of growing with the help of SAEON.

I look forward to applying my knowledge, learning new techniques and becoming a better scientist.

Xolile S.M Mbuyazi – DST-NRF Intern

I am a young, black woman who is passionate about science and the environment.

Prior to becoming an intern at SAEON GFW node, I completed a BSc in geography and hydrology and most recently completed an honours degree in hydrology at the University of Zululand, supervised by Dr Ricky Taylor.

I first got interested in hydrology to understand the reasons why we did not have water back home in Mtubatuba, while the Mfolozi River was flowing. Since than I have never looked back. My honours project looked at the relationship between soil salinity and groundwater salinity and flooding frequency looking at elevation and distance along the Mlalazi estuarine floodplain.

Currently, I am working on a project to monitor the erosion in catchment III Cathedral peak and document the history of all the work that has been done from when the catchment was established to date, supervised by Sue van Rensburg and Michelle Toucher.

I have also been working closely with Sue van Rensburg and Siphiwe Mfeka on the routines in Maputaland coastal plain.

Being a DST-NRF intern, I hope to improve on my field experience, improve my modelling skills and gain other skills that are relevant to my field that will prepare me for my MSc in 2020. SAEON is a great learning opportunity for me to grow in my field, as a hydrologist and to also explore and get a better understanding on how it relates to all the other scientific disciplines.

Past Interns

Aobakwe Lenkwe – DST-SAEON Intern (2016/17)

I recently submitted my MSc dissertation with Wits University. I was looking at the impact of rainfall on streamwater chemistry at Cathedral Peak, comparing historical and recent monthly streamwater chemistry major ions data sets and investigated the use of spectral absorbance as a proxy for dissolved organic carbon; under the supervision of Prof. Chris Curtis (Wits). My honours project was a comparison of the influence of different land uses on streamwater chemistry and macroinvertebrate assemblages at Cathedral Peak.

I’ve always been fascinated by water but I remember sitting in a 3rd year biogeography conservation lecture and I think that’s when I decided that it would be my life long obsession.

As a DST-NRF intern, I hope to become more of a transdisciplinary scientist and to walk out with a better understanding of which direction I want my science to go and possibly do my PhD. I am working under the supervision of my mentor and node coordinator, Sue van Rensburg.

I look forward to learning more about ecology and dissolved organic carbon, being challenged, fieldwork and working with the GFW node team.

Luke Bentley – DST-NRF Intern (2016/17)

My initial interest in the natural sciences stemmed from a love for birds and bird identification in my junior school days.

I have an obsessive nature when it comes to correctly identifying something in the field. From there my interests broadened into the global system sciences through my love of Geography and Biology at school, and into my undergraduate degree at Rhodes University, which I completed in Botany and Geography in 2012. I then pursued a joint honours degree in Geography and Botany at Rhodes in 2013, with modules on GIS, plant physiology, savanna ecology and environmental change. My honours project was done under the supervision of Prof. Nigel Barker and examined the conservation genetics of the highly endangered plant species Faucaria tigrina using the ISSR section of the plant genome. The research was published in the journal Biochemical Systematics and Ecology.

Starting in 2014, I pursued an MSc degree in the Rhodes Botany department under the joint supervision of Professors Nigel Barker and Mark Robertson. Species Distribution Modelling techniques were used to predict the future distribution of a number of montane plant species by mid-century. Final corrections on this MSc are now largely complete.

As a DST-NRF intern, I am working under Prof. Tim O’Connor on numerous projects including research to determine the environmental domain of C3 grasses in the Drakensberg mountains. The current and future range of these grasses is thought to be directly linked to increasing CO2 levels and is therefore of serious interest for global change research.

We hope for an academic publication at the conclusion of this work.

Nasiphi Ntshanga – DST-NRF Intern (2014/15)

Having studied environmental sciences my background includes; biogeography, ecology, GIS & conservation planning. I am mainly interested in environmental patterns and the processes that shape them.

During my B.Sc Enviro Sc. (Hons) I evaluated the representativeness of protected area networks in the Pondoland Centre of Endemism which is part of the Maputo-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot (fantastic GIS processing J!) with Dr Finch, and currently completing my Msc, looking at the phylogeography of SA plants with Prof. Proches (interesting statistics & phylogenetics). SAEON conducts exciting trans-disciplinary scientific research across different biomes, and as a DST-NRF intern, it is the perfect place for me to learn and explore other disciplines and to decide on which direction to take my career, from PhD and beyond.

Currently I am verifying the fire history of the Cathedral Peak research catchments and planning to produce a publishable database by the end of the year! SAEON is a great platform that will expose me to the beautiful mountains of the Drakensberg, Lake St. Lucia and lots and lots of science.

Nobuhle Mweli – DST-NRF Intern (2016/17)

My passion for working with the environment was initially driven by the excitement of fieldtrips and getting dirty.

As time went by, it grew to something bigger, understanding ecosystem functioning. I wanted to know about the WHATs, HOWs, and the WHYs of our changing environments. Having pursued an Environmental Science degree I realized that I was right where I needed to be. I further did my Honours in ecology (2015), and so keen on working on plant communities, I undertook a land use project in Cathedral Peak. For my project, I conducted a fence-line contrast looking at the impact of historical grazing on plant diversity.

My project was supervised by Dr. M. Tedder (UKZN) and Prof. T. O’Connor (SAEON).
From January to March of this year I worked as a research assistant with a Grassland science PhD candidate Sindiso Chamane, at UKZN (PMB).

My role was to assist in the field and also do a bit of data capturing. On all the sites we worked on we did species composition, and the experience gained was fulfilling, I’ve improved my species ID skills. Since my internship has started, with Sue as my mentor, I look forward to learning more about plant communities, the drivers of vegetation change, as I’ll be working on Catchment 3 in Cathedral Peak. In addition, I look forward to working with weather stations and finding a way forward with regards to the environmental problems we face.

I’m also excited about the field experience I’ll gain, the exposure to environmental instruments, and conducting citizen science projects.

Not forgetting working with great scientists and developing new skills as a young scientist.

Nqobile Lushozi – DST-NRF Intern (2016/17)

Prior to joining the SAEON team in April (2016), I had completed a Bachelor degree (2014) and an Honours degree (2015) in Environmental sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg campus).

During the year (2015) I worked under the supervision of Prof. Trevor Hill on a project where we assessed the effectiveness of macroinvertebrates as indicators of stream flow changes and nutrient enrichment in rivers.

Parallel to that I did vacation work with GroundTruth Environmental Consulting where I was involved in numerous citizen science projects and also gained much exposer with aquatic and riparian health assessment methods. I enjoy field work along with all the challenges that come with it, working with data sets, being part of an enthusiastic team, community outreach programmes and that is why I am grateful to have received the opportunity of being part of the DST-NRF (2016/1017) Internship programme.

My primary reason for joining the SAEON team was the fact that I wanted more exposure to science to help me determine which direction in science will serve my passion best (as advised by my mentor and node coordinator, Sue van Rensburg).

The main output of the internship programme will be to increase my skill set and obtain a good perspective and direction for a Masters degree that I intend on starting at the end of the internship year (2017).

I look forward to the work I will be doing at the GFW Node which will involve working with sophisticated weather measuring tools, learning to use new statistical packages, spending long hours in the field and working close to Prof. Colin Everson, Kent Lawrence, Siphiwe Mfeka as well as the rest of the GFW Node team.

Monique Nunes – Estuarine Ecologist Intern

Having grown up in the Western Cape and spending my vacations next to the coast instilled in me an absolute fascination for nature.

This passion is what paved the way for my endeavors. I completed my tertiary education at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University where I obtained my B.Tech Degree in Nature Conservation (2009) and MSc. Degree in Botany (2012).

My MSc was supervised by Prof. Janine B. Adams and focused on investigating the response of the abiotic and biotic variables of the temporarily open/closed Great Brak Estuary during a prolonged drought. I am currently working as a DST-NRF ecological intern at the Grasslands-Forests-Wetlands Node. My main projects for the year include initiating a Calendar Garden Project in conjunction with the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) and Midlands Meander Education Project (MMEAP), analysing a five year data set focusing on the seasonal variation in avian community composition of the Midmar Dam as well as drafting a proposal for water quality monitoring for the St. Lucia Estuary (which include recommended sampling design and protocols).

Sinethemba Ntshangase – DST-NRF Intern (2014/15)

B.Sc. (Hons) Biological Sciences, UKZN.

As a motivated young scientist, I accepted the offer of being an intern at SAEON, GFW Node in 2014. With this opportunity I hope to grow as a scientist and pursue my passion for plant taxonomy, especially grasses (Poaceae).

I did my undergraduate studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), majoring in Environmental Sciences and Biological Sciences (also known as Life Sciences). I did my Honours degree at the UKZN as well, in Biological Sciences where the main focus was on plants (i.e. Taxonomy, Eco physiology, Ultrastructure, Biosystematics).

I am currently working towards having a publishable BRAHMS database of specimens from Cathedral Peak and from St Lucia, as well as compiling a protocols document on how to use the programme. I also hope to begin my MSc in 2015, but I am yet to find a suitable study.

I hope with the help from SAEON I will fully discover and explore my passion.

Megan McNamara – CWRR Intern

Prior to starting my internship at SAEON in February 2018, I completed my BSc degree in Hydrology and Soil Science, my Honours degree in Hydrology and most recently graduated with my Masters in hydrology at University of KwaZulu-Natal. My MSc dissertation research, under the supervision of Dr. Michele Toucher, involved estimations of below-ground vegetation and water use parameters for a revised hydrological baseline land cover in South Africa, as well as the development of a repeatable methodology for applying such estimations of root parameters.

Here at SAEON, as an intern through the Centre for Water Resources Research (CWRR), building on my knowledge, skills, experience and interest in the field of hydrology, I have been working on the Water Research Commission (WRC) funded project “K5/2437 Resetting the baseline land cover against which streamflow reduction activities and the hydrological impacts of land use change are assessed”, as well as on the research project GLORIOUS: GLObal useRs In the cOpernicUs climate change Service led by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) and the CWRR, under the supervision of Dr. Michele Toucher.

SAEON Grasslands Node