News
Check out the latest EFTEON updates and team news, please contact us with further enquiries
EFTEON at the 2025 Eskom Expo for Young Scientists
EFTEON joined the 2025 Eskom Expo for Young Scientists to demystify research and show learners what environmental science looks like in the real world. The event at the George Civic Centre was hands-on, collaborative, and open to everyone with curiosity. See more in a SAEON eNews article.
Science for everyone: Fostering a science-literate and engaged society
Read about the NRF-SAEON Ndlovu Node and EFTEON Lowveld Landscape activities for the 2025 National Science Week celebrations, which were centred around the theme Science, technology and innovation are for everyone.
From intern to technician: A journey of growth and discovery
This story traces a career pathway from internship to technical expertise, showing how mentorship, field experience, and persistence turn early curiosity into essential research capacity within EFTEON.
FLUXNET 2025 – A network of networks
FLUXNET 2025 brings together flux tower networks from around the world to strengthen collaboration, standards, and data integration. EFTEON’s participation highlights South Africa’s role in advancing global carbon, water, and energy exchange science.
Find out more about the global FLUXNET community and the regional network activities on the FLUXNET website and through Fluxnet Community Council Newsletter.
NRF-SAEON Graduate Student Network 17th Indibano
The SAEON Graduate Student Network visited the infrastructure at the EKZNW Spioenkop Nature Reserve as part of their 17th annual conference (31 August to 5 September 2025). See more through the GSN Website and a SAEON Newletter article.
Observation standards and data pipelines
SAEON and EFTEON terrestrial technicians gathered for a weeklong workshop the discuss data collection, standardising methodologies and coordination between the staff at SAEON and hosted Research Infrastructures (EFTEON, Shallow Marine and Coastal Research Infrastructure, SMCRI and South African Polar Research Infrastructure, SAPRI). For more about the event, see the SAEON Newsletter article.
Expanding EFTEON’s Landscape Footprint in the Kimberley Tri-Biome
Explore how new infrastructure in Mokala National Park boosts our capacity to study biodiversity, climate resilience, and land-use gradients across arid to grassland systems, opening fresh avenues for long-term ecological research. Read the full story.
EFTEON Launches: A New Chapter for Landscape-Scale Observation
EFTEON was officially unveiled on 21 November 2024 with stakeholders and scientists gathering to mark this milestone in South Africa’s environmental research. See how this network will transform integrated freshwater and terrestrial monitoring. Read the full story.
From PhD Research to Field Innovation: EFTEON Insights
At the EFTEON launch, Dr Amukelani Maluleke shared a personal journey from doctoral research to instrumental innovation, highlighting how training and field expertise power environmental science. Read his relfections.
Tackling Pollution with Data: The Frances Baard Cleanup Campaign
EFTEON and the SAEON Arid Lands team joined community efforts to clean up the Frances Baard District. Beyond action, we’re tracking change: illegal dumping hotspots are now part of a systematic environmental monitoring plan. Read more: SAEON Newsletter.
How Graduate Research is Shaping Environmental Governance
At the 2024 Graduate Student Network Indibano (16 – 9 September 2024), 26 young researchers connected their field findings with policy challenges, reinforcing science’s role in democratic decision-making. Read more: SAEON Newsletter.
Get Real-Time Environmental Data via the New Terrestrial Observations Monitor
The South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) is pleased to announce a major new platform that lets researchers and practitioners access near-real-time sensor data from across South Africa, speeding up discovery in meteorology, hydrology, and ecosystems. Read more: SAEON Newsletter.
Flying the EFTEON flag high at the annual congress of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa
Sachin Doarsamy, biodiversity technician for the Northern Drakensberg Landscape, Dr Lindokuhle Dlamini, a Professional Development Postdoctoral (PDP) fellow, and Dr Helga Knoetze, landscape scientist – Biodiversity, based in the Kimberley Landscape attedned the 59th Annual Congress of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (GSSA) from 22 to 26 July in Gariep, Free State Province, South Africa. Read more: SAEON Newsletter.
Strengthening Capacity: EFTEON Staff Bioassessment Training
Hands-on training in aquatic biomonitoring using SASS V5 has equipped EFTEON staff with cutting-edge skills to evaluate river health and biodiversity change. Read more: SAEON Newsletter.
Linking Global Research: EFTEON Meets Indian Climate Research Leaders
In June 2024 Dr Warren Joubert accompanied a delegation led by Jongikaya Witi, (Chief Director Climate Change Monitoring and Evaluation of the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment) in collaborative visit with Indian climate research institutions, settinh the stage for future joint work on environmental observation and data sharing.
Read more: SAEON Newsletter.
EFTEON Welcomes New Biodiversity and Ecology Scientist
Dr Helga Knoetze joins EFTEON to lead biodiversity observation efforts. This expands our capacity to monitor long-term ecological change across landscapes. Read more about Helga.
Spotlight on EFTEON’s Landscape Science Leadership: Dr Warren Joubert
Dr Warren Joubert joined the Expanded Freshwater and Terrestrial Environmental Observation Network (EFTEON) in June 2023. Learn how Warren is integrating atmospheric and meteorological observation into EFTEON’s core research programmes to deepen understanding of ecosystem-atmosphere exchange. Read more: SAEON Newsletter.
Newly graduated EFTEON student shares his PhD research findings
Watch Dr Amukelani Maluleke’s SAEON Seminar presentation on a portion of his PhD thesis research in a talk entitled ‘Carbon and water relations over three growing seasons in an African arid Savanna and grassy shrubland’.
EFTEON erects two test sites for hands-on learning
As a precursor to the selection of landscapes to serve as EFTEON (Expanded Freshwater and Terrestrial Environmental Observation Network) research sites, two test sites were erected at the De Beers-owned Benfontein Nature Reserve in the Free State. The site selection and tower erection were facilitated by the SAEON Arid Lands Node, who have had a long-standing research relationship with the researchers and management of Benfontein. The EFTEON test sites were selected based on biome type and vegetation structure – a Savanna site and Karoo site were agreed upon and given the thumbs-up in October 2019.
Crucial milestone for ecosystems research in South Africa
Extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders has led to the selection of six ecosystem research sites located across the country for the Expanded Freshwater and Terrestrial Environmental Observation Network (EFTEON), a large research infrastructure that is being developed under the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR) programme of the Department of Science and Innovation. EFTEON is hosted by SAEON, a programme of the National Research Foundation (NRF).