A Lifetime of Observation Culminates in Groundbreaking PhD Research

Dr. Denise Ingrid Adams, at the remarkable age of 76, has become the oldest graduate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's (UKZN) autumn 2026 graduation ceremony. Capped by Chancellor Dr. Reuel Khoza, her doctoral achievement highlights not only personal perseverance but also the vital role of higher education in addressing South Africa's environmental challenges. Adams' PhD, titled "Un-cloaking the Estuary: The Current State of the uMngeni Beachwood Mangroves Unveiled Through Creative Practice-Led Research," supervised by Dr. Kathy Patrick and Dr. Louise Gillian Hall from UKZN's Centre for Visual Arts, bridges art and ecology to spotlight the deteriorating health of Durban's Beachwood Mangrove Nature Reserve.

Living adjacent to the uMngeni Estuary for over 36 years, Adams transformed casual estuary walks into a profound research endeavor. What began as concern over increasing pollution and looming urban development evolved into a creative exploration that offers fresh insights into mangrove resilience and vulnerability. Her work exemplifies how South African universities like UKZN foster interdisciplinary research, empowering mature students to contribute meaningfully to conservation science.

Dr. Adams' Journey: From Estuary Enthusiast to Doctoral Scholar

Adams' path to a PhD was unconventional. Initially, her attempts to capture the mangroves through two-dimensional paintings fell short. "After a year of unsuccessful two-dimensional hanging paintings, I realised that I needed to reshape my creative practice in conjunction with environmental research," she reflected. Supported by UKZN's College of Humanities via Zoom research methodology sessions and weekly critiques at the Centre for Visual Arts with postgraduate peers and lecturers, she refined her approach.

Her process involved meditative wandering (inspired by Zen Buddhism's kin hin and shikan taza), sensory engagement—sight of glittering waters and feathers, smells of salty breezes and hibiscus blooms, touch of sludgy soil—and ethical collection of natural discards like leaves, bark, fish skeletons, and weeds. These informed mixed-media artworks using estuary materials, fabric rejects from her fashion background, hand-made dyes via bundle-steaming, stitching, printing, and Sumi-e techniques. This heuristic led to somatic three-dimensional cloaks, allowing wearers to immerse in the ecosystem's realities.

UKZN's flexible support for non-traditional students underscores South African higher education's commitment to lifelong learning, enabling retirees like Adams to pursue advanced degrees and apply lived experience to pressing issues.

The Ecology of Beachwood Mangroves: A Vital Coastal Ecosystem

The Beachwood Mangrove Nature Reserve, a 76-hectare protected area at the uMngeni River mouth—Durban's largest mangrove stand—hosts three key species: red mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata or umhlume), black mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza or isiKhangazi), and white mangrove (Avicennia marina or isiKhungathi). These subtropical trees, at their southern distributional limit, thrive in intertidal zones, adapting to salinity via specialized roots: prop roots for anchorage, pneumatophores for aeration, and viviparous seeds for propagation.

Mangroves provide "blue carbon" sequestration (10-15% of global coastal sediment carbon despite covering 0.05% of coastlines), shoreline stabilization against erosion and storms, nurseries for fish and crustaceans, habitats for birds (48+ species breeding), reptiles, insects, and mudskippers. Associated flora like lagoon hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus or uLola) and powder puff tree (Barringtonia racemosa or iboqo) enhance biodiversity, while mycorrhizal networks and wild pollinators sustain homeostasis.

In South Africa, mangroves total ~1,520-2,000 ha (71% in KZN), classified as critically endangered, with Durban Bay losing 440 ha to harbor development.

Escalating Threats: Pollution, Development, and Climate Pressures

Adams' observations reveal a crisis: once minimally polluted, the estuary now suffers garbage, oil slicks, microplastics, E. coli, heavy metals, nutrients causing eutrophication, and air pollution from highways. Invasive aliens like water hyacinth (eseshimi), eucalyptus, and polyphagous shot-hole borer decimate natives. Urban encroachment peaks with Beachwood Estate (approved 2023, construction 2025), bulldozing floodplain trees. Climate change amplifies: sea-level rise (>10mm/year), tidal surges eroding roots, floods, droughts releasing stored carbon.

Broader Durban losses: mangroves vanished from 10 KZN estuaries due to mouth alterations; waterbirds declined 70% in Durban Bay. Globally, SA mangroves (0.05% Africa's total) face deforestation, with 20-35% worldwide loss recently. These threats undermine fisheries, flood protection, and carbon sinks, impacting Durban's 3.9 million residents.

Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash

Innovative Methodology: Creative Practice-Led Research at UKZN

Adams' PhD exemplifies UKZN's strength in creative research. Step-by-step: 1) Meditative site immersion for sensory data; 2) Ethical artefact collection; 3) Studio experimentation (bundle-dyeing with leaves/ink, car-printing, embroidery as drawing); 4) Iterative cycles with theory (Deep Ecology, Eco-Materialism); 5) Workbook documentation (10-11 volumes); 6) Culminating somatic cloaks (e.g., Cloak of Weeds, Carbon Cloaks) and assemblages. This non-didactic approach reveals plant agency and interconnections missed by conventional science.

UKZN's CVA provided critique forums, fostering this hybrid method that translates ecology into accessible art, advancing South African higher education's interdisciplinary frontiers.

Key Insights: Resilience Amid Degradation

Paradoxically, Adams uncovered reparative powers: mangroves' hypocotyls for buoyant dispersal, weeds' phytoremediation/pollination, blooming cycles signaling recovery, mycorrhizae sharing nutrients. Despite degradation, the ecosystem offsets damage partially, offering hope. Her cloaks embody this duality—pollutants in inks vs. green growth layers—challenging anthropocentric views.

For more on her thesis, explore the full document at UKZN ResearchSpace.

Educational Impact: Bridging Art, Science, and Community

Adams' workbooks guide school groups at Durban Botanic Gardens and Beachwood Reserve, while Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife eyes exhibitions. This aligns with SA higher ed's public engagement mandate, using art to foster eco-literacy. UKZN's model inspires colleges nationwide, proving mature researchers amplify conservation voices.

Conservation Strategies: Lessons from Adams' Research

Urgent needs: pollution controls (e.g., eThekwini wastewater upgrades), invasive clearance, development halts (floodplain buffers), restoration (natural regeneration prioritized). Community clean-ups (e.g., 3,000kg litter removed 2023) and education via Adams' tools are key. For SA-wide: protect KZN's 71% mangrove share, enhance freshwater flows. Read Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's efforts here.

Policy: integrate art-science in EIA, fund HE-led monitoring.

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

UKZN and South African Higher Education's Role

UKZN exemplifies SA unis' env research leadership, with Pietermaritzburg campus advancing creative ecology. Amid funding pressures, such PhDs drive NSFAS-supported innovation, positioning SA colleges as conservation hubs.

Future Outlook: Hope Through Research and Action

Adams' optimism—plants' innate repair amid crisis—inspires. With HE like UKZN leading, Durban's mangroves can endure, safeguarding biodiversity and communities. Explore opportunities in SA research via AcademicJobs.com.