Tag Archives: conference

William Colenso Bicentenary – conference registrations open

20 September 2011 – 5.24pm

This year marks the bicentenary of William Colenso’s birth (1811-1899). In celebration our colleagues at the Hawke’s Bay Museum and Art Gallery, Napier are hosting a bicentennial event this coming November (9 – 13 November 2011).

The aim of the bicentenary is to explore the highly complex character of Colenso ‘in the round’ – as ‘a talented polymath, at home crossing the Ruahines, providing Kew Gardens with knowledge of New Zealand plants, or writing and printing the only published eyewitness account of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi’.

The celebrations will be centered on a two-day academic conference featuring international author and science historian, Dr Jim Endersby of the University of Sussex and Peter Wells, author of the new book The Hungry Heart – A Journey with William Colenso, as keynotes. They will be joined by 12 speakers new research into all aspects of William Colenso’s life.

An accompanying programme of events held across Hawke’s Bay, hosted by HBMAG and partners will include; a journey into William Colenso’s Napier, a tramp to the foot of Colenso Spur in the Ruahine Ranges, a Choral Evensong and Sunday Service at the Waiapu Anglican Cathedral and a exhibition, floortalk and workshop by award winning Havelock North botanical artist Terrie Reddish at the Hastings City Art Gallery.

Visit the William Colenso Bicentenary website to see the full programme of the conference and events taking place, and to register for the bicentenary.

By Claire Regnault | Posted in History, Māori, Plants | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

Te Papa botanists attend recent systematic botany conference

18 January 2011 – 12.29pm

Botanists from Te Papa recently attended and presented some of their research at the 2010 Australian Systematic Botany Society (ASBS) Conference. Notably, this is only the second time the annual ASBS Conference has been held in New Zealand.

The theme of this year’s meeting was, “Systematic botany across the ditch: links between Australia and New Zealand”. Collaborative research on Australasian plants by scientists from both countries was highlighted throughout the four-day conference at Lincoln University hosted by Landcare Research and the New Zealand Plant Radiation Network (NZPRN).

About half of the 100 attendees were from Australia and half from New Zealand, including four of us from Te Papa. The conference was an excellent opportunity for us to network with colleagues, as well as to showcase the botanical research happening at Te Papa.

Leon Perrie gave a talk co-authored by Lara Shepherd (Massey University) on their genetic work on fierce lancewood (Pseudopanax ferox).

Leon Perrie at the end of his talk on Pseudopanax, with Ilse Breitwieser (Landcare Research), Nov 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

Leon Perrie at the end of his talk on Pseudopanax, with Ilse Breitwieser (Landcare Research), Nov 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

Pat Brownsey co-authored a talk given by David Glenny on the biogeographic history of New Zealand ferns and liverworts. Carlos Lehnebach discussed the taxonomic implications of his morpholometric study of hook sedges (Unicina spp.).

Carlos Lehnebach giving his talk on Uncinia at the ASBS conference, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

Carlos Lehnebach giving his talk on Uncinia at the ASBS conference, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

 Heidi Meudt summarized her systematics research on native Plantago species.

As many of the New Zealand botanists who attended the conference are also members of the NZPRN, we took the opportunity to have a short NZPRN meeting. Heidi Meudt and Andrew Clarke (Otago University) co-presented a short workshop on how to contribute to the NZPRN wiki.

Andrew Clarke (Otago University) and Heidi Meudt presenting a wiki workshop to members of the New Zealand Plant Radiation Network (NZPRN) at the ASBS conference, Dec 2010. Photo by Carlos Lehnebach, © Te Papa.

Andrew Clarke (Otago University) and Heidi Meudt presenting a wiki workshop to members of the New Zealand Plant Radiation Network (NZPRN) at the ASBS conference, Dec 2010. Photo by Carlos Lehnebach, © Te Papa.

More photos of the conference can be seen here and here.

On the last day, many participants went on the field trip to get a first-hand look at the floras of montane forests and alpine herbfields in the Arthur’s Pass area. It was the perfect way to end a great conference!

Otira Valley, Arthur's Pass National Park, ASBS 2010 field trip, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

Otira Valley, Arthur's Pass National Park, ASBS 2010 field trip, Dec 2010. Photo by Heidi Meudt, © Te Papa.

By Heidi Meudt | Posted in Plants | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Talking Australian Plants

13 December 2009 – 9.16pm

I’m just back from the Australian Systematic Botany Society’s conference, followed by three days working in the herbarium of Sydney’s Botanic Gardens. 

Conference.  The conference involved three days of talks about the evolution and taxonomy of plants. I presented our recent work on the hen & chickens ferns. I found the response interesting, including several people suggesting that separate species should be recognised even when genetic evidence is not accompanied by morphological differences.

 Talks of direct interest to New Zealand included:

  •  a re-analysis suggesting that the New Zealand kauri may not be so ancient.
  • the taxonomy of the tangle ferns (Gleichenia) is more complicated than we thought.
  • New Zealand’s Toronia toru is possibly better placed (back) in Persoonia.
  • a discussion about quality assurance for plant identifications for environmental impact assessments and the like.

Also of interest, the Society may be changing its name to “Australasian…”

Link to conference programme.

Hen & chickens ferns. 

Fieldtrip. The conference field-trip allowed an examination of the flora near Armidale (north-east New South Wales). I was interested to see that many of the ferns were the same or very similar to New Zealand’s.

Asplenium flabellifolium, necklace fern, occurs in both New Zealand and Australia.

Blechnum wattsii is very similar to New Zealand’s B. procerum.

Hymenophyllum flabellatum also occurs in New Zealand.

This Australian Coprosma does a good impression of a divaricating plant.

This rare Gingidia species occurs near Armidale. The genus, a member of the carrot family, is otherwise confined to New Zealand.

Many plants weren’t so familiar.

The parasitic orchid Dipodium.

A Stylidium trigger-plant.

Grevillia acanthifolia. Beautiful. It's a shame that the Ice-Age all but eliminated the Proteaceae family from New Zealand.

NSW herbarium. I examined specimens relevant to my current research (especially Lastreopsis and Asplenium). The NSW herbarium at Sydney’s Botanic Gardens is as big as New Zealand’s three main plant collections combined (Landcare Research, Auckland War Memorial Museum, and Te Papa).

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Plants | Also tagged , | Comments (0)
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