Byron Gray - PhD student hosted at the Grasslands, Forests and Wetland Node, SAEON

I joined the SAEON Grasslands Node in January of 2017 as a data and instruments intern. My main objective was to collect, organise and compile the historical and current Cathedral Peak rainfall and streamflow data. I have a BSc in Hydrology and Geography and an Honours and Master’s degree in Hydrology, all completed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. My relationship with the Grasslands Node started back in January of 2014 when I started my Honours degree, where I investigated the influences of raingauge design and location on rainfall measurements within the Cathedral Peak research catchments. Following my internship, I began my PhD journey in October of 2017 under the supervision of Dr Michele Toucher. My PhD is on understanding the dynamics between land cover change and water supply in a strategic water source area of South Africa. My research site is the Cathedral Peak research catchments and the larger Thukela catchment. My research interests are around Environmental change and how it will affect hydrological processes. Within Environmental Change, I have a particular interest in climate change. When I am not working on my PhD, I enjoy being outdoors, racing down single track on my mountain bike.