Gaborone: De Beers Group has issued a call for the submission of research papers to be presented at the 8th Annual Oppenheimer De Beers Group Research Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, in October.

Academics, students, researchers, site managers and environmental managers that have carried out research on any E Oppenheimer & Son or De Beers Group sites are encouraged to submit their findings for presentation to more than 180 attendees.

Conservation properties include those on De Beers Group’s Diamond Route, such as the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, Rooipoort Nature Reserve, Orapa Makgadikgadi and the Kimberley Big Hole, as well as a number of the company’s operations and E Oppenheimer & Son properties.

The Diamond Route, launched in 2002 to promote biodiversity conservation and education, connects seven conservation sites and nature reserves located around De Beers Group’s mines in southern Africa.

The conference, on 17 and 18 October, provides a platform for those working, or studying, in the areas of ecology, archaeology, palaeontology and cultural, tourist or social research to share their findings with an audience of their peers.

It also offers an opportunity for site managers and researchers to discuss the latest environmental, conservation and ecology trends, and guides future research and postgraduate opportunities across the Diamond Route.

Patti Wickens, Senior Environmental Manager, De Beers Group, said: “The conference first began as a platform to highlight the ‘good that diamonds do’ by making significant contributions to conservation. Today, more than ever, we’re keen to keep this vision alive by showcasing the positive contribution that safe and sustainable diamond mining can provide.”