Xolile S.M Mbuyazi - DST-NRF Intern at the Grasslands-Forests-Wetlands Node

I am a young, black woman who is passionate about science and the environment. Prior to becoming an intern at SAEON GFW node, I completed a BSc in geography and hydrology and most recently completed an honours degree in hydrology at the University of Zululand, supervised by Dr Ricky Taylor. I first got interested in hydrology to understand the reasons why we did not have water back home in Mtubatuba, while the Mfolozi River was flowing. Since than I have never looked back. My honours project looked at the relationship between soil salinity and groundwater salinity and flooding frequency looking at elevation and distance along the Mlalazi estuarine floodplain. Currently, I am working on a project to monitor the erosion in catchment III Cathedral peak and document the history of all the work that has been done from when the catchment was established to date, supervised by Sue van Rensburg and Michelle Toucher. I have also been working closely with Sue van Rensburg and Siphiwe Mfeka on the routines in Maputaland coastal plain. Being a DST-NRF intern, I hope to improve on my field experience, improve my modelling skills and gain other skills that are relevant to my field that will prepare me for my MSc in 2020. SAEON is a great learning opportunity for me to grow in my field, as a hydrologist and to also explore and get a better understanding on how it relates to all the other scientific disciplines.