Past Events

Takahē, scouts for fungal diversity.

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.

AGM and Photographic Competition.

The photographic competition is a popular and eagerly anticipated event for anyone interested in botanical photography. Enter your best photos and learn what makes a good photograph and how to improve your photographic skills from our panel of expert judges. Your photographs may be chosen for the BSO Calendar so this is your opportunity to have one month of fame. Start organising your entries now and don’t wait until the last minute.

Fungal Foray to Waikaia. POSTPONED TILL SPRING

Waikaia Forest at Piano Flat is an isolated remnant of the mixed beech forests (red beech - Fuscospora fusca, mountain beech - Fuscospora cliffortioides and silver beech – Lophozonia menziesii) that once covered much of the area. The area supports a unique invertebrate fauna with several rare species being found there. Beech trees are dependent on various mycorrhizal fungi for their survival and growth. We plan to look at the fungal diversity of this forest in conjunction with Prof. David Orlovich of the Otago University Botany Department as part of his ongoing research. The trip is dependent on a DoC permit, so will be confirmed closer to the date. For further details and to arrange carpooling contact David Orlovich.

POSTPONED TILL SPRING

Burns Reserve – one of Dunedin’s hidden gems!

The 87 hectares of coastal podocarp forest which makes up this reserve, lies on the flanks of Signal Hill high above Ravensbourne, Maia, Burkes and St Leonards. Though established in 1907 by residents concerned at the amount of deforestation on the West Harbour Hills, the Reserve had, until recently, been largely forgotten. Its flora includes good specimens of the original podocarp forest and a fabulous swath of Easter Orchid, Earina autumnalis and Earina mucronata, growing on a prominent rocky outcrop. The views of Taiaroa Head to Taieri Mouth are spectacular.

Meet Botany Department carpark 9am Saturday 15th April 2023. Rain date Sunday 16th April 2023.

Members night.

Members are invited to bring items of botanical interest to the monthly meeting and talk about them. Items may be short slide shows, books, photographs, plants or any plant related object that has a story attached. You are invited to get in touch with Angela Brandt (brandtaATlandcareresearch.co.nz) or Stella Fish (sls.fishAToutlook.com), who are organising the meeting, to chat about what you’re thinking of bringing or to let them know you want to present a slide show.

All day field trip to Rock and Pillar Range.

Note: this date differs from that originally advertised.

We will travel to just north of Middlemarch to a carpark at the foot of the Rock and Pillar Range. From here the poled route of the Glencreag track is followed first through regenerating shrubland, then tall tussockland, and finally alpine cushionfield and rockland. Big Hut (1320 m above sea level) will provide a base for further exploration of the local botanical treasures. The return will be back the same way.

This is a steep and arduous trip of c. 1000 m height gain. Participants need to have good fitness and be capable of walking for 3 hrs or more uphill and equivalent downhill. Be prepared for all weather conditions in an exposed alpine environment. The vehicle round trip is approximately 170 km. Depart Botany Department carpark at 8 am. Expected return approx. 6 pm.

The coastal sand dunes of Otago.

Speaker: Teresa Konlechner. Sand dunes are an important feature of the Otago coast. However, the sand dunes of Otago have experienced considerable modification over the last 100 years. Human-induced destabilisation followed by stabilisation by exotic and invasive plants have altered geomorphic processes and the indigenous flora of the dunes. This talk provides an overview of past modification to Otago’s dunes. It outlines the state of knowledge regarding the indigenous flora of Otago sand dune habitats and identifies priorities for conservation and restoration of these now uncommon sand dune species.

Tūhura Otago Museum.

Come join us for a botanical trip through Tūhura Otago Museum on Wednesday evening. We will get to spend some time after hours with the museum’s gardener for a private look around Tūhura Tropical Forest which features over 70 mostly tropical plant species, plus butterflies and birds. Smaller groups (10 at a time) will get a further behind-the-scenes look at Otago Museum’s dry collections store which holds internationally significant collections of birds, marine mammals, invertebrates, and a small botanical collection which the museum staff is working to digitize and eventually make available online. Meet at Otago Museum foyer at 5:20pm.

Contact Gretchen Brownstein brownsteingATlandcareresearch.co.nz to RSVP. Space is limited to 30 people, so a lottery may come into play.

Tūhura Tropical Forest has been featured in recent programmes from Radio New Zealand (www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld/audio/2018810238/caring-for-the-forest) and has been a frequent news maker in the Otago Daily Times since the space opened in 2007.

Kuriiti Creek, Hampden.

This trip is to a privately owned bush block above Hampden on Kuriiti Creek. This 36ha block was recently purchased and the new family is keen to figure out what is present so they can look after it. Kuriiti creek runs through middle of the block, with the steep slopes containing a mix kanuka and broadleaf/podocarp forest. The understory is damp, with potential for interesting ferns, mosses, and lichens.

Grade: the edges of the kanuka bush are accessible from the road. To access the stream and broadleaf/podocarp require a walk down a steep and very rough track. Good walking shoes and willingness to climb back up a 100m hill a must! Contact Gretchen Brownstein brownsteingATlandcareresearch.co.nz. Bring water and lunch. Meet at Botany Dept car park 9am. Return time: 3pm 80km / 1hr drive time each way.

Silver Peaks Possum Hut/Green Ridge circuit. CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER

It’s going to be botanising on the hoof so to speak as we follow Gold Miners Direct from Steep Hill Road down to the north branch of the Waikouaiti River, then swing left following the river to Possum Hut (now a relic). Climbing up a steepish spur from the hut, we will connect with the Green Hut/Pulpit Rock track which will lead us back to the cars. It’s a good track, quite steep in places both downwards and upwards, but only for short bursts. The vegetation is quite modified comprising of regenerating coastal bush.

Good footwear and appropriate clothing needed as the Silver Peaks is exposed. About a 4 hour trip. Contact Robyn Bridges 021 235 8997. If raining on Saturday we will go on Sunday 20th Nov.

TRIP CANCELLED DUE TO HEAVY RAIN WATCH WARNINGS FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Drawing Competition.

Come along to see botanical artwork from our drawing competition. Entries close October 10th. There will be an art auction, so come prepared! Contact Gretchen Brownstein brownsteingATlandcareresearch.co.nz and Sharon Jones sharon.jones388ATgmail.com

An Amalgamation of Cryptogams: A Showcase of their Dynamic Life Histories and Understated Role in the Ecosystem.

Come along to hear Aimee, Stella and Kacey open your eyes to the often forgotten world of mosses, liverworts and lichens. Aimee will give an overview of bryophyte ecology and the importance for different ecosystems, with a New Zealand focus. Stella will introduce you to the 'phyllosphere,' where her talk on epiphyllous liverworts will be sure to excite you into the microscopic world! Kacey will bring you into the vast world of lichens, how they can be utilised (in our world), and some of the main features used for identification.

Mahaka Katia Scientific Reserve (Pisa Flats).

Mahaka Katia Scientific Reserve (Pisa Flats) is situated on an elevated terrace above Lake Dunstan just north of Cromwell. It is a unique example of Central Otago dryland habitat that has mostly been lost to agricultural development and residential subdivision. Pisa Flats is one of the few remaining places where populations of a number of rare, native, dryland endemic species can still be found. These include Raoulia monroi, Lepidium solandri, Convolvulus verecundus and Myosotis uniflora. This Myosotis species is classified as At Risk – Naturally Uncommon and the yellow-flowered form is more or less confined to the Pisa Flats. We are timing our visit to hopefully coincide with its spring flowering. If we have time, we will possibly visit the saline sites at Springvale Scientific Reserve or the Chapman Road Reserve both near Alexandra to look at Central Otago spring annuals, a suite of dryland species that includes Myosotis brevis, and the tiny buttercup relatives, Ceratocephala pungens and Myosurus minimus.

We will meet at the Botany Department carpark at 8.00 am and travel to Cromwell and then on to the Reserve. Bring lunch, warm clothing, rain gear and suitable footwear. Travel time from Dunedin to Cromwell is approximately 3 hrs. Contact David Lyttle (email djl1yttleATgmail.com Ph (03) 454 5470).

Geoff Baylis lecture: Taxonomic revision of native New Zealand forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae): An update.

Speaker: Heidi M. Meudt, Researcher Botany, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Location: Archway 2, 6pm

New Zealand is a main centre of Myosotis diversity, with about half of the c. 90 total species worldwide. Taxonomic revision is a high priority in New Zealand forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae), a genus in which most of the species are classified as Threatened, At Risk-Naturally Uncommon, or Data Deficient according to the New Zealand Threatened Classification System (NZTCS). The core focus of my research is to produce a taxonomic revision of all native southern hemisphere Myosotis species using analyses of morphological, pollen, genetic and field data. We aim to answer the following questions: How many native southern hemisphere Myosotis species are there? How can they be identified? Where are they found? What is their conservation status? Since starting on this project in 2010, my collaborators and I have revised two-thirds of the southern hemisphere species, with the remaining 20 species and tag-names currently under study. This research continues to contribute fundamental data to biodiversity knowledge and databases, and to the NZTCS assessment panel. For example, of the c. 1700 Myosotis specimens at Te Papa’s herbarium (WELT), almost 30% were collected since 2010, all are databased and imaged, many have been recently curated, and most are online, see here. In this talk, I will give a broad overview of the Myosotis research project results, discoveries, field work, and taxonomic implications to date. I will also highlight work-in-progress and future directions.

Biography: Heidi Meudt is a Researcher in Botany at Te Papa (since 2006). She completed her PhD in Botany in 2004 at the University of Texas at Austin, and was an Alexander von Humboldt Experienced Research Fellow at the University of Oldenburg, Germany from 2012-2014. Her main research focus is on the taxonomy and systematics of southern hemisphere plants, particularly Plantaginaceae and Boraginaceae. Her research integrates data from morphology, DNA, pollen, chromosomes and other sources to revise the taxonomy and better understand the geographical, morphological and phylogenetic patterns of plant species, especially New Zealand species radiations.

Pipeline Track.

The Cryptogang – a group of enthusiasts who meet three times a week to explore the often ignored worlds of the cryptogams, including lichens, liverworts, mosses, and hornworts (as well as their larger, more obvious co-inhabitants) – invite you to accompany them into their fascinating and beautiful underworlds. Be prepared not to walk very far and bring a hand lens if you have one.

Leave Botany Department car park at 9am. Contact John Steel, john.steelATotago.ac.nz or 021 2133 170