Our Ever Changing Estuary

Nature is never static - that we know. But estuaries are particularly dynamic: daily, seasonally and in response to bigger weather events and climatic cycles. Even an ordinarily quaint estuary like the Keurbooms, which might seem on the surface to be fairly consistent and "samey", is always dishing up surprises: below the surface, in and around it, much is going on that is often overlooked by the casual observer.

These last few years have been quite rich in new sightings and discoveries - many of them made by members of this very community contributing to the Keurbooms Estuary iNaturalist Project. This presentation will showcase some of the species that have ventured into the estuary recently, often far from their usual home up the east coast. We will explore why the Keurbooms has long been the Cinderella of South African estuaries - overlooked, understudied and undervalued, despite harbouring significant biodiversity and playing a vital nursery role. And we will reflect on the impact of the recent flood events, how they have changed the estuary and what grounds there might be for optimism going forward.

ABOUT DR MATTHEW ZYLSTRA

Dr. Matthew Zylstra is a conservation ecologist and outdoor facilitator, with a passion for local coastal life. He is the administrator of the Keurbooms Estuary iNaturalist Project - a citizen science initiative that is recording and documenting the publics observations in the estuary. Matt is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, and leads the Southern African Human-Nature Connectedness Working Group, among other things