Past Events

What Makes a Good Neighbour? Drivers of facilitation in alpine cushion plant communities

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

Field Trip to the Lyttle Properties, Otago Peninsula.

David and Belinda Lyttle will host the BSO on a visit to their native plant nursery on Centre Road. There will be an opportunity to visit some native forest remnants on the adjoining farm owned by Donald Lyttle. This particular remnant is representative of the local flora and contains some uncommon species including Brachyglottis sciadophila, Coprosma rubra, Clematis foetida and Raukaua edgerleyi. The adjacent pasture contains a number of interesting herbaceous natives including the bidibid Acaena microphylla var. pauciglochidiata, Celmisia gracilenta, and Raoulia glabra. A good winter outing with a chance to come in out of the cold and enjoy some hot soup at lunchtime. Meet 9.00 am at the Botany Dept Car Park, 464 Great King St.

Effects of secondary woody succession in dry eastern South Island on indigenous plants and animals

Speaker Susan Walker, Landcare Research, Dunedin. Mixed indigenous and exotic communities dominated by shrubs and small trees, at different stages of recovery from fire, now cover about one fifth of land that has not been intensively developed within eastern South Island 'dryland' environments. The benefits and drawbacks of this increasing 'woodiness' for indigenous plant and animals have been debated, but there have been few studies of its ecological effects. Susan will describe some insights from recent research in dry Central Otago. 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 Quarantine Island

A trip led by Bill Wilson. Cost $10.00 for boat leaving from Back Beach, Port Chalmers at 9:30 AM. Depart from the Botany Dept car park at 9:00 AM or meet at 9:30 at Port Chalmers. Return boat trip booked for 3 PM. Date subject to weather Rain day 24th June.

Alpine Gems of the South Island

Speaker Dave Toole. Dave Toole is a landscape gardener from Otatara, Invercargill who has a passion for New Zealand alpine plants. He has made many trips to various out of the way places in the South Island to find and photograph rare native alpines. Dave will talk about his adventures on these plant hunting trips and show pictures of a spectacular variety of alpine plants. 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.

Ascension Island: A Lesson in Terraforming

Prof. Steven Stephenson, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA. 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.

Beyond New Zealand: Global Biodiversity of Myxomycetes

Prof. Steven Stephenson, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA. Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St

Propagation of New Zealand Native Plants

A workshop conducted by Alice Lloyd-Fitt, propagation specialist, Dunedin Botanic Gardens. Alice will talk about the collection of seed from New Zealand native plants. She will show how it is processed, stored and sown. She will also show how to propagate native plants from cuttings. We have arranged to have a display of cultivated New Zealand alpines in conjunction with the workshop. Place: Propagation Department at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens. Meet at the upper visitors car park off Lovelock Avenue, Dunedin Botanic Gardens.

Are reproductive characteristics of Wahlenbergia albomarginata dependent on environment?

A Botany Dept seminar by Olivia Sawrey, MSc Candidate. Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St.

Floral biology and genetic variation in Euphrasia dyeri

A Botany Dept seminar by Vicky McGimpsey, MSc Candidate. Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St.

Keeping it hot when it's cold outside: plant sex in the Arctic and Sub-Antarctic

A Botany Dept seminar by Lorna Little, PhD Candidate. Union St Lecture Theatre, Cnr Union St West & Great King St.

Field trip to Craigieburn Reserve, Ross Creek

A proposed joint trip with Forest and Bird. Details to be announced.

AGM and Photographic Competition

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.

Deadline for entries for the Photographic Competition

Entry forms are available from the Department of Botany Office, or can be downloaded from the BSO website.

Field trip to Knight's Bush, Tuapeka

The Knights are stewards of some of the last remaining native vegetation on the banks of the Clutha River from the lakes to the sea. Their 228 ha block opposite Birch Island and the Blue Mountains encompasses a surprising variety of ecosystems. On the river flat and stream sides kahikatea, totara, matai & pokaka grow amongst gnarly old beech trees, with a broadleaf/divaricating shrub understory. In places the podocarps dominate, higher up there are almost pure stands of Nothofagus solandri and N. menziesii. Stands of huge old kanuka are evidence of early milling. On the sunniest northerly faces are remnants of original dry land shrub and kowhai community, including the uncommon Teucridium parvifolium. John, Allison and Ben worked hard last year to build a 2 km long fence to protect examples of these communities from browsing and foraging animals. They hope this new biodiversity reserve will encourage regeneration of the understory and allow vulnerable plants to re-establish. Come and help to create a base-line species list, clear around the fence-line or just look around. Wear strong footwear with good grip for the steep slopes. Bring pen, hand-lens, lunch etc. 113 km drive each way. Return late afternoon. Rain-date Sunday.