On 13 October, 16h00–17h00 SAST, B-Cubed partner Dr. Sandra MacFadyen from Stellenbosch University will lead a colloquium on Turning Data into Decisions by Bridging Mathematics, Ecology, and Policy. 

Register to attend: https://nithecs-ac-za.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_09HWA8FsSZS7SuzQEa0flA#/registration  

The event will introduce the vision to deliver transparent workflows and open-source software for broad application, including regionally tailored biodiversity monitoring strategies. Emphasis will be placed on how these approaches translate ecological complexity into policy-relevant insights, spanning from global indicators to locally meaningful measures. This includes applying mathematical models to simplify and quantify biodiversity processes, revealing emergent ecological patterns, advancing methods for analysing adaptive ecological networks, and mapping biodiversity turnover across scales. Some of the methodological advances from this collaboration will all be outlined, including new R packages for compositional dissimilarity and invasibility analyses. These tools demonstrate how open and collaborative science can support biodiversity monitoring and inform conservation actions. Together, B-Cubed, E5-WP1, and BioMath demonstrate the power of linking mathematics, ecology, and policy to better understand and manage biodiversity change. 

You can join the event online or in-person in: 

 • North-West University: Seminar room K310, Physics building G5

 • Stellenbosch University: Neelsie Cinema 

• University of the Witwatersrand: Room P215, 2nd Floor, Physics Building 

A recording of the talk will be published on the NITheCS YouTube channel afterwards.