1st Announcement and save the date
We are pleased to announce that the 8th GRIN Symposium will take place
13-15 October 2026 (3 full days) at
Villa Castollini, Knysna, South Africa.
What? GRIN is a symposium-style meeting hosted in South Africa’s Garden Route region, reflecting its place of origin. It provides a platform for engagement on human–nature and science–practice Interfaces, promoting collegial exchange and Networking among participants from across South Africa and internationally.
Why? To create a space where scientists and practitioners alike can share experiences and insights, from around the world, related to human-nature connections in conservation.
Who? This annual gathering is co-hosted by South African National Parks (SANParks), the CNRS-NMU International Research Laboratory REHABS (Reconciling Ecological and Human Adaptations for Biosphere Sustainability), the Sustainability Research Unit of Nelson Mandela University, and the Society for Social-Ecological Systems (SocSES).
The ‘GRIN space’ is purposefully designed to promote a diversity of perspectives and robust discussion, be practitioner friendly and practice relevant, and foster co-learning and networking among participants. To achieve this, the Organising Team takes care to select venues and configure a programme that is conducive to both individual and group reflexivity. However, the true spirit of GRIN is created by the annual participants (typically between 80 and 100) who are mutually responsible for shaping this community of practice.
GRIN Conference Themes
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Facilitating knowledge exchange at the science, policy and practice interfaces;
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Human–nature connections (benefits and conflicts) and their implications for sustainability;
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The evolving role of conservation systems, from protected areas to multi-use landscapes;
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Equity, justice, and inclusivity in conservation systems;
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Environmental governance and stewardship in the Anthropocene;
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Lessons from co-learning initiatives, engagement forums, and multi-stakeholder collaborations;
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Responding to climate change and other drivers of environmental change;
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Monitoring and evaluation approaches for social-ecological systems;
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Innovative methods / approaches for studying social-ecological systems.