Kevin Kirkman is Professor of Grassland Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and one of the partners in the REPAiR project. Kevin’s research covers many aspects of grassland ecology and management, including research on grazing, fire and restoration. In this episode, Kevin discusses what makes grasses and grasslands fascinating, what is special about the context of South Africa, and the challenges of bringing together ecological science with other kinds of knowledge.Links:Kevin Kirkman’s profile (UKZN website)Understanding rangelands and grasslands (REPAiR) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit repairproject.substack.com
-------- Â
43:05
Learning from diverse knowledge in rangelands (with Ruan de Wet)
Ruan de Wet is a technical director at Meat Naturally Africa and one of the partners in the REPAiR project. Meat Naturally is a social enterprise that supports livestock farmers in rangeland restoration in Southern Africa. Meat Naturally supports farmers in a number of ways to help look after the landscape, as we discuss in the episode, and also supports them collectively to get access to markets to sell their produce. We discuss the myths and misunderstandings around rangelands, the historical context in South Africa, and how planned grazing and controlled fires can help landscapes, animals and people to thrive. We also talk about the challenges of bringing together ecological science and other kinds of knowledge.LinksREPAiR projectMeat Naturally Africa This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit repairproject.substack.com
Repair is a podcast about the past, present and future of land, food and people. We focus on the challenges facing rangelands - open areas where people herd animals.
Rangelands and grasslands support wildlife, informal economies and millions of people around the world. In these places, land use and animal grazing is often organised in communal ways. Looking after the environment is a team effort. But these landscapes are often misunderstood. In this podcast, we aim to address misunderstandings about rangelands, explore the challenges facing them, and understand what can be done to make them more resilient and thriving places.
Our particular focus is on rangelands in Southern Africa, and how people in these rangelands can design and lead activities that look after the ecology of these important places.
This podcast is organised by the REPAiR project. For more information, see repairproject.org repairproject.substack.com
![Podcast Cosmosis [Formerly The UFO Rabbit Hole]](https://za.radio.net/podcast-images/175/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast.jpeg?version=aa810190eb6547a8fd808bdc7f700e9f)
South Africa