Ōtari Seminar Series

Join the Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Trust for their annual seminar series. It's a chance to hear from people doing amazing things in the conservation space and learn something new.
All seminars are on a Tuesday and will start at 7.30 p.m. in Tāne Whakapiripiri - Ōtari Visitor Centre, 150 Wilton Road. Gold coin donation.

7 March: Taxonomic revision of native New Zealand forget-me-nots (Myosotis, Boraginaceae): an update

Speaker: Heidi Meudt
Dr Heidi Meudt is a Botany Curator at Te Papa whose collections-based research focuses on the evolution and classification of native New Zealand flowering plants, especially forget-me-nots (Myosotis). Heidi also studies native foxgloves (Ourisia), plantains (Plantago), and hebes (Veronica) throughout the southern hemisphere.

14 March: The role of climate in driving fruiting declines for Aotearoa's most abundant fleshy fruited tree: Beilschmiedia tawa

Speaker: Oscar Clendon
Oscar Yukich Clendon recently completed a Master's degree in ecology and conservation at The University of Auckland. His thesis investigated environmental drivers of fruit crop characteristics for the NZ indigenous tree tawa, in an effort to explain observed declines in fruit size and abundance.

21 March: An introduction to NZ geckos

Speaker: Reino Grundling
Reino is an active conservationist with a great passion for sharing his love of native reptiles. His goal is to "take the geckos out of the manuka bush" and into the hearts and minds of his fellow kiwis.

28 March: The wonderful world of Wellington weeds

Speaker: Illona Keenan
Illona has helped manage ecological weeds for Wellington City Council for the last 10 years. At last count, there were over 150 weed species that have been controlled or noted within Wellington City Reserves.