The Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology

You may have recently seen the Entomological Society of Southern Africa's Mzansi Insect of the Year in partnership with News24 on social media. Please go check out their first article here.

https://www.news24.com/business/climate-future/environment/the-small-things-that-run-the-world-your-chance-to-nominate-mzansis-insect-of-the-year-20260811-0636

We want to please encourage as many people to nominate an insect species, so please share this within your networks. Entries can be made through the ESSA website: https://entsocsa.co.za/

Follow our social media platforms for more upcoming entomological articles by News24.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/entomological-society-of-southern-africa/posts/?feedView=all
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/entsocsa/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheEntomologicalSocietyOfSouthernAfrica/

‘The small things that run the world’: Your chance to nominate Mzansi’s Insect of the Year | News24 While many people regard insects as pests, the reality is that we depend on them every single day. From pollinating crops to recycling nutrients, they keep ecosystems alive. Now you can vote for your favourite one in the Mzansi Insect of the Year competition.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/13/science/shot-hole-borer-invasive-beetle-africa-intl

Polyphagous shot-hole borer - a focus of Prof Francois Roet's research in the Department. This story was published by CNN International this morning.

This ‘perfect invader’ is spreading across the world. It’s costing economies billions | CNN An invasive species of beetle called the polyphagous shot-hole borer is laying siege to tree populations across South Africa and far beyond.

‘The Conservation Symposium 2026’ is in Durban this year. Dates are 08-11 November. See the website for more details: www.theconservationsymposium.com
Abstract & Special Session Submission is open and you can submit at this Portal:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNMWLEaMAWx162nf_MamtLZDUFqVgpCP0ejs88DK_3clomKA/formResponse?pli=1

The Conservation Symposium 2026 Abstract & Special Session Submission Portal Abstracts and Special Session Proposals should be submitted here

The Society for Conservation Biology North America has come up with a definition of conservation as:

“Conservation is a practice informed by the best evidence-based science and place-based knowledge whose outcomes protect and restore the natural environment—including its air, soil, water, biological diversity, ecosystem processes, and evolutionary potential—to ensure equitable benefits derived from nature and safeguard its value for current and future generations of all life.”

Read the press release here: https://zaf01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconbio.informz.net%2Fz%2FcjUucD9taT05NjA5OTE3JnA9MSZ1PTgzNzQ3OTg1MiZsaT05MTkyMzE3OA%2Findex.html&data=05%7C02%7C%7C9ce3296f9f9e401cb1d508dedda3a5c6%7Ca6fa3b030a3c42588433a120dffcd348%7C0%7C0%7C639191892572669773%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cb1wZ%2FOUpyI2JoouxGsJiWwD9bH4D21fJdIFBhhoumw%3D&reserved=0

The definition is intended to guide actions within SCB North America, the broader Society for Conservation Biology global community, and all those interested in the protection and recovery of nature.

Read about the definition here.
https://zaf01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconbio.informz.net%2Fz%2FcjUucD9taT05NjA5OTE3JnA9MSZ1PTgzNzQ3OTg1MiZsaT05MTkyMzE4MA%2Findex.html&data=05%7C02%7C%7C9ce3296f9f9e401cb1d508dedda3a5c6%7Ca6fa3b030a3c42588433a120dffcd348%7C0%7C0%7C639191892572697869%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=a90WFRE7QIlVUwYzGVcjMwgtKBIT5UyblrplCCbXsQ4%3D&reserved=0

SCBNA’s Definition of “Conservation” – Society for Conservation Biology North America Building on SCBNA’s 2025 webinar series “A Conversation on State Wildlife Agencies,” SCBNA’s Policy Issues Working Group collaboratively developed a definition of “conservation” for our regional society that was approved by the SCBNA Board of Directors on January 22, 2026. The definition...

The 2026 National Symposium on Biological Invasions will take place in early November, in Stellenbosch and more details are available at

Home - Biological Invasion Symposium The Centre for Invasion Biology (C·I·B) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) are collaborating to host the National Symposium on Biological Invasions 2026. The event will be an in-person event taking place from the 9th to the 11th of November 2026 at

Public comment opportunity
Parliament is inviting comment on the National Water Amendment Bill, with submissions due by 30 July 2026. The Bill seek to amend the National Water Act. Please click on the link for more details (and comment).

National Water Amendment Bill | PMG A call for comments by the Water and Sanitation committee. Submissions must be received by no later than 30 July 2026

Stellenbosch University (SU) is hosting its annual Undergraduate On-Campus Open Day, today, from 08:00 to 15:00. Look out for Conservation Ecology & Entomology!

The BioSCape Team has been awarded the prestigious 2024-2025 NASA Honor Group Achievement Award (bioscape.io/award) in recognition of their outstanding contributions and dedication to BioSCape. Congratulations to the team, including Dr Alanna Rebelo, who is an affiliate of ConsEnt!

The BioSCape Science team has been productive, with 185 scientific outputs, including 24 Journal Articles, 8 Conference Papers, 130 Presentations, 2 Theses, 9 Datasets, 7 Preprints, 2 Reports, and 1 Film.

The BioSCape film, The Spectrum of Life, is now on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcbbs3c7jE8

The Spectrum of Life | NASA's first biodiversity-focused airborne campaign (BioSCape) The Spectrum of Life documents NASA’s first airborne campaign dedicated to studying biodiversity from above in one of the most diverse parts of the planet, S...