Past Events

Snowfields, Plant Functional Traits, and GLORIA

A talk by Associate Professor Martha Apple. Department of Biological Sciences, Montana Tech, University of Montana, Butte, Montana. Botany Department Seminar, Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St.

Tales from the Southern Ocean

A talk by John Barkla. John recently visited the NZ Subantarctic Islands and Australian Macquarie Island during an ocean voyage to and from the Antarctic Continent. His presentation will celebrate the lush and colourful subantarctic vegetation and the monochromatic world of Antarctica and its wildlife. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Aramoana Salt Marsh—World Wetlands Day

The trip to the Aramoana salt marsh is in celebration of World Wetlands Day. Meet at the Botany car park at 9 am or at the Aramoana Hall 30 mins later. We will then walk out to the board walk and onto the salt marsh proper. The development of a weed plan will be explained by the trip leader, Bradley Curnow. There are also a few local plants of note that are now largely absent from Otago Harbour. People need to bring gumboots. Finish would be no later than 3 pm. Sunday 3rd Feb is the wet weather day.

Trips around Arthurs Pass

Wellington Botanical Society invites BSO members to join them at its annual "camp" at the Arthurs Pass Outdoor Education Centre from the afternoon of Saturday 29 December 2012 to the morning of Monday 7 January 2013. Information about the Centre and its location are on www.apoec.org.nz. Accommodation is in bunk rooms, at $20 per night. The centre can sleep 45 people. Catering arrangements have yet to be settled. If you would like to register an expression of interest then let Rodney Lewington know on rodneyjl@clear.net.nz. You will then be kept up to date as arrangements are finalised. Firm registrations, with a deposit of $200, will be called for in early October. A further payment will be required in the third week of December so as to cover most of the anticipated cost.

Weekend Field Trip to the St Marys Range, North Otago

The St Marys Range runs along the south side of the Waitaki Valley inland from Kurow, North Otago. Geologically it is graywacke rather then schist and consequently there are extensive screes on the steeper slopes. The highest point is Kohurau (2015 m). The range catches enough moisture from fogs from the east coast which enables it to support a specialised alpine flora that includes some unique elements. On the high scree plateaus above 1600 m extensive colonies of the spectacular speargrass Aciphylla dobsonii are found. Other plants occurring in this harsh environment are Raoulia youngii, Lobelia roughii, Leptinella atrata, Hebe epacridea and Haastia sinclairii. There is an undescribed cushion Myosotis, an undescribed scree chickweed similar to Stelleria roughii and a distinctive Celmisia related to Celmisia angustifolia. The trip is timed to coincide with the flowering of the recently described scree buttercup Ranunculus acraeus a species restricted to North Otago and South Canterbury.

We will stay at the Awakino Skifield Lodge which will be open for us. The cost is $25.00 per person per night. Depart from Dunedin on the morning of Saturday 8th (at a time convenient for participating drivers and passengers—i.e., dont turn up at Botany Department and expect a ride; travel arrangements will need to be sorted out beforehand); return afternoon of Sunday 9th. Participants need to supply own food and overnight gear. Anyone who wishes to participate in this trip please contact David Lyttle

End-of-year dinner at Golden Harvest Restaurant

Always a fun and popular event! This year we return to the Golden Harvest Chinese Restaurant, Harvest Court Mall, 218 George St, Dunedin. Make sure you let Bill Wilson know if you'd like to come.

Interesting Local Lichens

Our speaker Lars Ludwig, will talk about his PhD research, focusing on the reproductive ecology of the rare but eye-catching subalpine lichen Icmadophila splachnirima. He will also present some interesting lichenological discoveries from the Dunedin area. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Field Trip to Catlins

Mohua Park is a 14 hectare private forest reserve owned by Fergus and Mary Sutherland. Eight hectares are varied native forest—mature podocarp, mature silver beech and secondary growth podocarp. Some of the special features of the native forest include the many matai, lowland ribbonwoods, kaikomako and small-leafed milkwoods. The native forest area is protected by a QE II open space covenant and is especially rich in bird life as a result of continuously maintained predator control. There are also three hectares of planted forest—the bulk of which is radiata pine, as well as a recently established deciduous woodland. The native forest on the property was preserved as a steading around the hill-top homestead of Tawanui's sawmill owner and manager: J. R. Wilson. The old homestead was built in the 1920's, and has a well established garden and lawn. Fergus and Mary have built four tourist accommodation eco cottages on the property and they also use it as a base for their Catlins eco tours. More information about Mohua Park, including a video, can be seen on their website: www.catlinsmohuapark.co.nz Location: 744 Catlins Valley Road, Tawanui—sign-posted off the Southern Scenic Routes 10 km south of Owaka. Meet 8.30 am at the Botany Dept Car Park, 464 Great King St. Distance 127 km. For a plant list, map of tracks and more information see the BSO website.(coming soon)

Talks by Botany Department Students

First a talk on bryophytes and community structure entitled It's the little things that matter by Kelley Frogley, winner of the Tom Moss Competition, followed by talks from Botany Department Colloquium winners showcasing some of the latest research by our most capable young botanists. A stimulating and varied evening is in store so please come and support the speakers. Drawings from the Audrey Eagle Botanical Drawing Competition will be on display and the winners will be announced. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.

Molteno's Regenerating Bush, Opoho

Tess and Anthony Molteno will host the BSO on a visit to their property at 236 Signal Hill Road, Opoho. Tess and Anthony have owned the property for the past 25 years. The property was originally a dairy farm and later a nursery but had been neglected for the 30 years or so before they bought it. At the time they fenced off a 2–3 Ha stand of kanuka on the west in the hope of regenerating the native bush. Since then that area has been little disturbed and they thought members of the Botanical Society might like to explore it, and any other part of the property that might interest them. Meet at the Dept of Botany car park 464 Great King St at 9.00 am.

Deadline for entries for the BSO Audrey Eagle Botanical Drawing Competition

See here for more information

Banks' Florilegium at the Hocken Library

Banks' Florilegium is a collection of copperplate engravings of plants collected by Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander while they accompanied Captain James Cook on his voyage around the world between 1768 and 1771. They collected plants in Madeira, Brazil, Tierra del Fuego, the Society Islands, New Zealand, Australia and Java. See here for more information. Meet at the foyer of the Hocken Library at 5:30 p.m.

Field Trip to Alexandra

We will travel to Alexandra and visit the DoC Springvale and Chapman Road Reserves to see native spring annuals and some rare dryland plants. The tiny buttercup relatives Ceratocephala pungens and Myosurus minimus subsp. novae-zelandiae will be flowering. Other plants that are likely to be present on these dry saline sites are Myosotis brevis, Lepidium kirkii, Atriplex buchananii, Raoulia beauverdii and Ryditosperma merum. Leaders David Lyttle and John Barkla.

Thyme travels across Central Otago: Above- and Below-ground ecological studies of a space invader

Jacqui Nielsen, PhD candidate. A Botany Department seminar. Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St.

Field trip to Brighton and/or Bruce Rocks

Dr Wendy Nelson, this year's Baylis lecturer, has kindly agreed to lead a field trip to look at marine algae. Both sites are on the same coast though it is possible we will only do one as the intertidal window is narrow. This is a good opportunity for members to do something a bit different and learn from an international specialist in the field. It will be worth getting up early for. To catch the outgoing tide we need to meet at the Botany Dept car park, 464 Great King St. at the earlier time of 7.30 am (sharp). Gumboots and wet weather gear essential. Wet weather alternative Sunday 19th August.