Future Events
Talks are held at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research in the Main Seminar room, 764 Cumberland Street, Dunedin. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open. Zoom links for the talks are sent to members, join the BSO here.
Trips leave from the Department of Botany car park.
Takahē, scouts for fungal diversity.
Wednesday 14th of June 2023, 05:20 PM (2 weeks from now)
Contact: Lydia Turley | 021 062 3602
Speaker: Josie McGovern. The study of dung has long been a revelatory science. Analysing the dung of certain organisms is a great way to gain insight into local fungal diversity. Takahē are a unique flightless bird, endemic to New Zealand. They exhibit a heavy grazing behaviour that encourages interaction with fungi and fungal spores. DNA metabarcoding of takahē dung collected from Orokonui ecosanctuary can teach us many interesting things about dispersal and fungal species important to our forests.
Ferntree Reserve, Dunedin.
Saturday 17th of June 2023, 09:00 AM (2 weeks from now)
Contact: John Barkla | mjbarkla@xtra.co.nz | 027 326 7917
Join us on an easy morning’s walk through Ferntree Reserve and adjoining streets. The small reserve, nestled between Taieri Road and Ferntree Drive, has a interesting array of naturally-occurring natives as well as planted natives and exotics. On its western boundary the reserve adjoins Dunedin’s oldest house, Ferntree Lodge. The walk should take no more than a couple of hours and is graded easy. Meet and park at the southwestern extension of Helensburgh Road near the entrance to Leslie Groves Hospital at 9 am. Leaders John Barkla and Sharon Jones.
Naturally uncommon ecosystems in Otago.
Wednesday 12th of July 2023, 05:20 PM (1 month from now)
Contact: Gretchen Brownstein | brownsteing@landcareresearch.co.nz
Speaker: Scott Jarvie, Otago Regional Council. Naturally uncommon ecosystems are defined as having a total extent of less than 0.5% (i.e., <134 000 ha) of Aotearoa New Zealand’s land area. These ecosystems are rich in threatened species, but many are poorly understood and nearly two thirds are classified as threatened, primarily from human associated threats, with a large proportion of these ecosystems being found on private land in lowland and coastal regions. This talk provides an overview of naturally uncommon ecosystems in the Otago region and discusses recent work to establish programmes to monitor extent and condition, focussing on inland saline (salt pans) and coastal turfs. In addition to the overview on naturally uncommon ecosystems, I will briefly touch upon work for a regional threat classification for indigenous vascular plants in Otago.
Taieri River Track.
Saturday 22nd of July 2023, 09:00 AM (1 month from now)
Contact: Angela Brandt | brandta@landcareresearch.co.nz | 021 121 5657
We’ll follow the track from Taieri Mouth to the John Bull Gully picnic area for lunch (4 km), and then return. The track passes through several vegetation types, including estuarine salt marsh, carr (wooded fen), podocarp forest, and open shrubland. A highlight will be stands of regenerating kahikatea, as well as Hall’s totara, tree ferns, and miro.
The track is in good condition but is undulating, and cuts downhill to the picnic area alongside the river. Bring good walking shoes, water and lunch, and clothing for the weather. Meet at Botany car park at 9:00 a.m.; expected return by 3:30 p.m. 37km drive each way. If the weather is very poor on the Saturday, we’ll switch the trip to Sunday. Contact Angela Brandt.