Past Events

Valentine's Day Field Trip to Heywood Point

Heywood Point Scenic Reserve is a rare example of podocarp/broadleaved forest with many special features including fragrant tree daisy (Olearia fragrantissima) and climbing daisy (Brachyglottis sciadophila). With luck, lunch will be in the sun admiring the interesting shrub and herb communities on the coastal cliffs and headland. We'll do a return trip from Aramoana so be prepared for a steep, though scenic climb, up through farmland until the reserve is reached. Meet at the Botany Department carpark at 9 a.m.

Central Otago trip

The BSO has been invited by the Auckland Botanical Society to join them for their annual field trip based at Bannockburn from the 9th to the 15th of January. Excursions are planned to various site of botanical interest in Central Otago. It will be possible to participate for all or part of the time depending on sufficient accommodation being available. Anyone who is interested please contact David Lyttle

End of year dinner

Our popular end-of-year dinner will be held at Golden Harvest Restaurant, 218 George Street, Dunedin at 7 pm. Please email David Orlovich by Wed 2 December if you would like to come.

Lichens Illustrated

A talk by Dr Allison Knight. Lichens grow all around us and play a significant role in the biodiversity and ecology of almost every terrestrial ecosystem. More than 1700 taxa of lichens and lichenicolous fungi are recorded in the magnificent 2007 New Zealand Lichen Flora. Yet most biodiversity recorders still walk right past them. This talk will illustrate the extraordinary diversity of the main morphological groups of lichens. These groups are crucial for understanding the initial keys in the Lichen Flora and form the basis for an illustrated Introductory Field Guide to Lichens. 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.

Trip to Swampy Summit

The field trip will be led by Dr David Lyttle and will leave from Botany carpark at 9 am. We will start walking from the at Pigeon Flat carpark at the top of the Motorway (where the board walk starts) at 9.30am. Backup date Sunday November 8th, 2009.

Field trip to Blueskin Farm

Blueskin Farm is located on low hills to the west of Blueskin Bay, at 156 Manse Road. The farm supports patches of primary rimu-miro forest, secondary kanuka, a small but distinctive patch of heathland on Taratu Formation, and a LOT of gorse! Geological diversity is high, with volcanic, schist, conglomerate, and sedimentary substrates, and this has resulted in a relatively high diversity of native plants. Native birds are common and there are banded kokopu in the stream. We will be primarily looking at the native forest components, and with any luck the orchids will be out, if not flowering. About 120 indigenous plant species and 50 exotics have been recorded, and a list of these will be provided. Keen botanists are welcome to extend these lists, and we will hopefully make some forays into parts of the forest that have not yet been explored. Some parts of the forest are soft and slippery so wear appropriate footwear, and sensible, weather-proof clothing. If the weather is good we can boil the billy at lunchtime. Gorse makes excellent firewood! Your hosts will be Kelvin Lloyd and Beatrice Lee. Meet at the Botany Department carpark at 9 a.m., or at 156 Manse Road at 9:30 a.m.

Beech forest fungi

A talk by Dr David Orlovich, The University of Otago. A slide show and research talk highlighting the beautiful fungi that grow in Nothofagus forests in NZ. 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.

Spring Fungal and Lichen Foray

A two day trip to collect lichens and fungi in the Catlins, following on from our very successful Autumn trip. We'll do the Catlins River walk from the Tawanui Camp Ground end on Saturday and from the Chloris Stream end on Sunday. Leaders, David Orlovich and Allison Knight. Accommodation on Saturday night will be at Nugget Point Lighthouse Keepers house (numbers limited). Day trippers are welcome to join us on either day. To reserve accommodation or find out more contact David Orlovich by Wednesday 16 September. Leave from Botany carpark at 9.00 am Saturday.

8th Annual Geoff Baylis Lecture. Assoc. Prof. Daphne Lee

Daphne Lee will present a talk entitled: Palms, podocarps, orchids and proteaceans: the contribution of new fossil plants from Otago and Southland to our understanding of New Zealand's vegetation history. Lecture at 6 pm in Castle 1, with nibbles and drinks from 5:15 pm in the concourse outside the Castle lecture theatres.

Mystery Fossil Hunt

A field trip led by Assoc. Prof. Daphne Lee. Leave from Botany carpark at 9 am. Backup date Saturday August 22nd, 2009.

Botanical "Show and tell" evening

Members are invited to bring along botanical items (for example, photographs and slides, plants, books, seeds anything botanical that you'd like to show others!) for a show and tell evening. 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.

Botany student colloquium winners

Three short talks by the winners of the 2009 Botany Postgraduate Student Colloquium. These students (names to be announced) were awarded prizes for the best talks, and will be presenting their research talks to the BSO this evening. 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 Dunedin Botanic Garden

The Dunedin Botanic Garden is an outstanding local botanical resource highly valued by Dunedinites. Botanical Services Officer and Society member Tom Myers will take us on a guided tour of the recently-created Solander Trail and the impressive Native Collection. If time permits we'll also have a look through some of the natural bush areas that are part of the Garden. SPECIAL NOTE: Meet in the carpark next to the Botanic Garden Centre, Botanic Garden, on Lovelock Avenue.

Sullivan's Dam ferns field trip

A field trip to discover the ferns of Sullivan's Dam, led by John Steel. It will be to practice using John's "Key to the ferns of Dunedin". There are close to a hundred species of ferns in the greater Dunedin City area and John has produced this key over the last ten years using student feedback to iron out the more common problems found when trying to identify them. A great opportunity to master this fascinating component of the Dunedin environment. Leave from Botany carpark at 8.30 am.

Ecological excuses for a visit to China

A talk by Emeritus Prof. Alan Mark. 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.