eNews

#06 2024

EFTEON insights – from PhD student to instrumentation technician

By Amukelani Maluleke, Instrument Technician, EFTEON

My journey with EFTEON began in 2019. As a PhD student at the time, I was struggling to find work opportunities and I was happy that the National Research Foundation (NRF) were making it possible for me to have some money in my account. 

This is a familiar story for many university graduates in South Africa, where work opportunities are few and far between. Originally from Soweto, it has been quite a milestone to complete my PhD, an unimaginable achievement for someone from my community and economic background.

I initially had little to no idea what EFTEON was about, or how research infrastructures function. It only started to make sense after listening to about 15 of EFTEON manager Dr Gregor Feig’s presentations, and numerous extensive conversations during the long drives to Kimberley for fieldwork. The focus of my PhD studies, which were based at Kimberley, was to unofficially develop the skills and technical capacity of the EFTEON Research Infrastructure to install and manage the flux infrastructure.

What wasn’t evident during these presentations was that we had to dig soil pits in temperatures of 40 °C in the heat of the Kimberley summer or have our teeth grinding dust from the unforgiving dust storms following wildfires. Wildfires that would damage our equipment and have us rushing to the site and working tirelessly to re-establish site operations within eight days of a fire occurrence in September 2021 – something that our manager continues to wear proudly on his forehead.

The presentations did not detail the hours spent suspended 15 metres up a tower troubleshooting eddy covariance operations and performing regular maintenance and calibrations, or the shock we all experienced after trying to remotely connect to a station just to find some instruments not actively reporting. These are some of the inner workings that running a network of sites across active and changing landscapes entail, and it is through the dedication and commitment of everyone involved with EFTEON that we have been able to launch successfully.

This dedication and commitment, in the form of financial and institutional support, has meant that early-career researchers like me get to experience these facilities as more than just tools, but as engines of discovery, collaboration and innovation – allowing us the necessary foundations to transform curiosity into breakthrough ideas about the complex systems which we are privileged to call offices. From access to state-of-the-art equipment to opportunities for mentorship and global partnerships, EFTEON has empowered young individuals like me to contribute towards tackling the world’s most pressing challenges such as global climate change.

Amukelani retrieving a soil sample using a soil auger during a recent trip to Kimberley, alongside Dr Nolusindiso Ndara, Dr Faith Jumbi and Tshililo Ramaswiela.

Amukelani working at height on the Skukuza Flux Tower in the Kruger National Park.

Key reflections 

Some key reflections from my participation in the SAEON–EFTEON network, both as a PhD student and recently as an instrumentation technician, detail some of the most exciting parts of my recent life. It has been through EFTEON that I was able to be part of global collaborations and spend a year in Germany through an academic exchange programme supported by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). This is where I was hosted at the Thűnen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture and got to participate in the routine maintenance of two eddy covariance ICOS sites. ICOS stands for the Integrated Carbon Observation System, a research infrastructure to quantify the greenhouse gas balance of Europe and adjacent regions.

I was privileged to attend and be part of workshops run by long-standing research infrastructures in the United States through the international FLUXNET Network. These have not been opportunities available for everyone, especially for youth in our predominantly black townships. Through the institutional backing of the NRF and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), I have been fortunate to feel part of global communities and be considered a contributor. This has also offered travel opportunities, both internationally and locally, during which I have had the luxury of carrying my trusted camera as my photography and science worlds continue to (beautifully) collide.

Growing with EFTEON 

I have experienced the behind-the-scenes development of an infrastructure that is becoming a major driving force for environmental science, carrying a long-term design to ensure consistent data collection and adaptability. It has been through EFTEON that I have learnt how to process and produce high-quality data to ensure standardisation, accuracy and interoperability of eddy covariance data across platforms and gained the skills to handle big datasets through programming and scripting during my PhD journey.

EFTEON has also offered opportunities to be part of collaborations and network-building activities towards pursuing global connectivity through the realisation that many environmental issues are transboundary. Through my own research, I have contributed to leveraging innovations such as remote sensing to widen the range of tools we use to understand the Earth. With the growing datapoints that SAEON–EFTEON are setting up, we have been able to validate satellite products and maximise the spatial resolution that our platforms offer.

This year has been memorable in that I have successfully completed my PhD and transitioned from being a student to an employed technician involved in the development of the EFTEON Lowveld Landscape. The past three years have taken me from living in Soweto, then Germany and now I find myself engaging with a peri-urban landscape in Mpumalanga.

For my colleague, Dr Nolusindiso (Landscape Scientist based in the Lowveld and responsible for Hydrology) and I it has been a period of adjustment. We have supported each other as recent graduates as we engage with the University of the Witwatersrand, the South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN) and the local communities in Bushbuckridge.

We have had to take responsibility for the management and operations of the infrastructure. During the first week of November, for example, we had to coordinate the national EFTEON team – including our CSIR partners in the landscape – for the installation of an eddy covariance station in Skukuza (Kruger National Park). The successful installation meant that we were also able to impart awareness to younger team members about the emotional intelligence required to be out in the field for long hours and still maintain a healthy environment even when things do not go according to plan – as they hardly ever do anyway.  

Involving local communities 

As part of our landscape portfolio, we have also sat down with local communities and relevant stakeholders to find suitable application and relevance for our research outputs. The support of the Agincourt research unit has been incredible in helping us find our feet in the landscape.

It has been interesting to learn about the operations of our organisation and attending procurement meetings and hearing acronyms such as BEC, SBD and not knowing what is being referred to. All these are part of the joys of government procurement and reporting that I now need to be part of.

Amukelani (left) explaining how the eddy covariance system works during the EFTEON launch at Spioenkop Nature Reserve.

EFTEON launch

The official launch of EFTEON marks a particular milestone where some of its successes will be towards contributing to decision-making processes and enabling the translation of scientific insights into actionable policies – a task that we all should be actively involved in to meet some of the global targets we have committed to.

Most importantly, equity in the access of our platforms across regions and especially for researchers in underrepresented or resource-limited settings will be critical to how history judges us. As we navigate these beautiful landscapes – from the Lowveld to Greater Cape Town, from Umhlabuyalingana to the Northern Drakensberg – let us continue acknowledging and respecting local and indigenous knowledge and communities in our research practices.

Finally, let us work towards this in a sustainable manner while minimising our carbon footprint and let us ensure transparent governance for sustained operations as this will mean many more opportunities for people like me.

May SAEON–EFTEON continue being the platform for training future scientists by providing opportunities and experiences that one cannot fully achieve within a university setting. May we continue creating initiatives to increase public understanding and participation in environmental research to guarantee that this research infrastructure, and many others, are able to fulfil their potential to advance science, address global challenges and inspire a collective action for a sustainable future.

Amukelani reflecting on his journey from PhD student to EFTEON instrumentation technician in the Lowveld Landscape during the launch.

Dr Amukelani Maluleke receiving a gift from NRF CEO Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo during the EFTEON launch gala dinner at Cathedral Peak Hotel.