The Iimbovane Project is a long term monitoring project which focuses on ant diversity in different natural and modified (developed or transformed) landscapes, investigating how ant groupings change in space (between places) and over time (between seasons and years). The project involves educators and learners from secondary schools to assist with the monitoring through direct participation in on site sampling.  

• Educate learners on how science works through active participation in “real” research
• Develop learners scientific and critical thinking skills
• Educate learners on biodiversity conservation and wider environmental issues 
• Promote careers in biodiversity science
• Assist life science educators to implement biodiversity science in an outcomes-based fashion
• Provide training and support to life science educators 

Data collected by the Iimbovane Outreach project contributed to an recent article that was published in the scientific journal, PLoS One. The paper titled, The Fynbos and Succulent Karoo biomes do not have exceptional local ant richness, investigated the species richness of local ant communities in the Fynbos and Succulent Karoo biomes.

Melanie de Morney was recently appointed as an Assistant Technical Officer for the Iimbovane Outreach Project. After completing her BSc degree (Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology) at the University of the Western Cape, she worked as an intern at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). She is passionate about animals and conserving the environment so Iimbovane is the perfect organisation for her to spread her wings in the field. Melanie will be assisting with collecting samples, outreach and contributing to the reference collection by identifying the ant species found.