[Sasnet] SASQUA 2007; First Circular (fwd)

[Bonnie A B Blackwell]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonnie A.B. Blackwell, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Williams College,
& Director, RFK Research Institute

MA lab: Dept. of Chemistry, Williams College,             voice: 1-413-597-3337
        Williamstown, MA, 01267                             fax: 1-413-597-4115

NY: Box 866, Glenwood Landing, NY, 11547            voice & fax: 1-516-759-6092
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 09 Oct 2006 12:39:57 +0200
From: Greg Botha <iti04964 at MWEB.CO.ZA>
To: QUATERNARY at CLIFFY.UCS.MUN.CA
Subject: SASQUA 2007; First Circular



Southern African Society for Quaternary Research (SASQUA)



XVII Biennial Congress

Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve,

Howick, KwaZulu-Natal

SOUTH AFRICA



11-13 April 2007



FIRST CIRCULAR



Understanding environmental change:

The contribution of Quaternary hindsight to future sustainability



Invitation to participate

On behalf of the Council of the Southern African Society for Quaternary
Research (SASQUA), the organizing committee takes pleasure in inviting you
to contribute to the XVII SASQUA biennial congress.



Date

The congress will run from the evening of Tuesday 10 April to Friday 13
April 2007.  A scholar information workshop will be held on Tuesday 10
April.



Venue

The meeting will be held at the Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve of the Wildlife
and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA), near Howick in
KwaZulu-Natal.  There is accommodation in self-contained chalets, cottages
and dormitories on site with numerous B&Bs in the town and surrounding
countryside.



Theme

The congress theme; "Understanding environmental change: The contribution of
Quaternary hindsight to future sustainability", enables SASQUA to showcase
the wide application and significant contribution made by multidisciplinary
Quaternary science to the management of our changing environment.  We trust
that contributors will use this "applied" theme as an opportunity to
highlight the broad societal value of their research.

The information workshop for senior school learners will raise the
visibility of Quaternary studies by exposing the next generation of
undergraduate students to research opportunities within the context of a
wide range of disciplines.



Scientific Programme

The scientific programme will be compiled on the basis of responses to the
congress circulars.  The following session themes have been suggested;

*	Archaeological and palaeontological heritage
*	Geohazards and land degradation
*	Marine environments and sea-level change
*	Climate change
*	Changes in terrestrial environments and landscape processes.



The oral presentations will be grouped in thematic sessions with 15 minute
presentations in English.  Digital projection facilities will be available
using PowerPoint.



Posters will be on display throughout the meeting and presenters will
introduce their contributions.  The size format for posters, and format for
abstracts will be outlined in the Second Circular.



Awards

The organizing committee will make merit awards for the "Best student
presentation & Best student poster.



Submissions will be invited for the SASQUA "Oliver Davies Award" which
recognises recently published research by young researchers.



Invited speaker

Dr Rob Fitzpatrick of Adelaide, Australia, who conducted his PhD research in
KwaZulu-Natal, will present the keynote address and public lecture.  Dr
Fitzpatrick works for the Environmental Biogeochemistry Research Theme in
CSIRO Land and Water, and is an Affiliate Associate Professor in Soil & Land
Systems and Geology & Geophysics Disciplines within the School of Earth &
Environmental Sciences of the University of Adelaide.



Field excursions

The mid-conference field excursion will visit the Sibudu Cave archaeological
site near Tongaat, and raised beach deposits near Mdloti and Durban.



The focus of possible post-congress field trips will be on small groups
providing their own transport, led by a local specialist guide.  Please
outline your area of interest !



Preliminary proposals include;

*	Long-term gully erosion in central KwaZulu-Natal
*	Landslides in the Drakensberg foothills
*	Maputaland coastal plain geology
*	Quaternary of the Braamhoek Dam site
*	Submerged dunes & beaches; Aliwal Shoal, KZN South Coast
*	Stone Age and Iron Age archaeology



Student grants

SASQUA will offer student subventions towards registration and accommodation
costs.  Submit CV to the organizing committee supported by a letter from
faculty supervisor.



Accommodation (pp sharing/single)*

2 sleeper chalets;          ~R160 / R204    4-6 bed Cottages;          ~R149
/ R182    Dorms;   ~R66 per person (own bedding)

B&Bs in area; ~R250 - R350      * prices possibly subject to change



Conference registration fees **

SASQUA members;  ~R1250      Non-members;  ~R1500  Students; ~R700

Includes teas, lunches, ice-breaker function, congress dinner, mid-congress
field trip

** subject to change depending on possible sponsorship and rising costs



Expression of interest

To receive the Second Circular, please submit the following details;



Name: _________________________

Affiliation: ______________________

Address: _______________________

_______________________________

Tel: ____________________________

E-mail: _________________________



Contribution:  Oral / Poster

Preferred theme:  Archaeology/ geohazard / marine / terrestrial processes



Contact details

Organizing Committee; SASQUA 2007, c/o Council for Geoscience, P.O. Box 900,
Pietermaritzburg, 3200, South Africa



Dr Greg Botha   gabotha at mweb.co.za                Rebekah Grow
rgrow at mweb.co.za



This is your congress, play an active role to ensure that you derive maximum
value from your SASQUA membership !!