REGISTRATION has been extended for the 2025 International Diatom Symposium!

We are looking forward to welcoming you in South Africa! REGISTRATION IS EXTENDED TO 15 MAY

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
Our program will commence on the evening of 03 August with a welcome and ice-breaker and conclude at lunch time on Friday 08 August.

LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Jonathan Taylor [email protected]
Anatoliy Levanets (NWU Botany)
Ashleigh Pieterse (NWU Dean’s Office)
Asanda Tsholela (NWU Botany)
Moira Muller (web designer)

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

Katerina Kopalová (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic)
Sarah Spaulding (INSTAAR, University of Colorado, USA)
Marina Potapova (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA)
Roksana Majewska (Nord University, Norway)
Somayyeh Kheiri (Research Inst. of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran)
Nora Maidana (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Carlos E. Wetzel (Luxemburg Institute for Science and Technology, Luxemburg)
Paul B. Hamilton (Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada)
Bart Van de Vijver (Meise Botanic Garden & University of Antwerp, Belgium)
Shigeki Mayama (Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo, Japan)
Patrick Rioual (Institute of Geology & Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China)
Jakub Witkowski (University of Szczecin, Poland)

REGISTRATION IS EXTENDED TO 15 MAY

ACCOMMODATIONS
Rooms have been reserved in the Skukuza Lodge and Conference Centre from 03 August till 08 August (departure). Once registration has opened you will be able to book these rooms (sharing 2 persons or single).

Please note that accommodation reservation can be found as part of the registration form, please also fill in one form per person whether a participant or accompanying person. Accommodation for the conference will be at the Skukuza Lodge, which is also the venue for the symposium.

There is no link to payment on the website - invoices will be issued via email to participants along with invitation letters.

For those wishing to extend their stay in the Kruger Park, reservations can be made here.

TRAVEL TO KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
Flights can be booked to Johannesburg or Cape Town, South Africa from international destinations.

Kruger National Park Skukuza can be reached using connecting flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town. These are small 30-seater aircraft offering only 2 flights per day so booking well in advance is necessary. Alternatively, please book your flights to Nelspruit (again connecting through Johannesburg or Cape Town). We will provide scheduled shuttles from Nelspruit to Skukuza.

EXAMPLE TRAVEL (Berlin)
Flight Berlin to Johannesburg €750, transfer to Skukuza €150
Flight Berlin to Johannesburg €750, transfer to Nelspruit €100, bus to Skukuza €10
Flight Berlin to Johannesburg €750, bus to Skukuza €60

EXAMPLE TRAVEL (Denver)
Flight Denver to Johannesburg €1300, transfer to Skukuza €150
Flight Denver to Johannesburg €1300, transfer to Nelspruit €100, bus to Skukuza €10
Flight Denver to Johannesburg €1300, bus to Skukuza €60

TRAVEL WITHIN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK
The KNP has very strict speed limits which makes travelling very slow. In addition, the gates to the camps close at 18:00. You therefore need to calculate your travel times very carefully if you are planning to enter the park from Nelspruit. Travel time from the Kruger gate to Skukuza is 1 hour so please bear this in mind if you are driving yourself.

CLIMATE
The KNP is situated in the Lowveld region of South Africa and is thus subject to very hot weather. Even though August is considered winter in South Africa you can still expect day-time high temperatures of 30C and higher. The rainy season only starts in October/November so we should have warm sunny days for the symposium. Long sleeve clothing, a sun hat and sun cream are essential items, especially on game walks and drives.

HEALTH
The Lowveld of South Africa is still considered a risk area for Malaria. Although mosquito numbers are rather low in the winter, we recommend prophylactic malaria medication (please first consult your health professional about side-effects of some types of medication). Please also take precautions by spraying insect repellent and by wearing longer clothing in the early evening especially. Ticks may be a risk if you go on game walks, long pants help to mitigate this risk.

ADDITIONAL EVENTS
Game drives may be organised for the early morning or in the evening at your own cost. Please make sure to book these at reception the day prior to the planned trip.