Ōtari Seminar Series 2025

As always, the Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Trust have a lineup of experts in their fields to speak. They will report on research findings, field trip adventures, and share their specialist knowledge about the wonderful natural world, much of it supported in Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush.

Seminars will be held every Tuesday in March (with a bonus one in April), from 7.30pm in Tāne Whakapiripiri, the Visitor Centre.
Entry is by gold coin donation.
Bookings are not required but we advise you to be prompt, these events have become popular!

Here’s what you can look forward to:

4 March: Upland icons – an introduction to the spiky world of taramea, speargrasses, Aciphylla
Speaker: Leon Perrie (Curator of Botany, Te Papa) and Lara Shepherd (Evolutionary Biologist, Te Papa)

11 March: The weird and wonderful flies of Aotearoa
Speaker: Julia Kaspar (Te Papa Lead Curator, Entomology)

18 March: Myosotis Research Field Trip: January 2023 Strannik Auckland Island Expedition
Speaker: Heidi Meudt (Curator of Botany, Te Papa)

25 March: The amazing arachnids of Aotearoa!
Speaker: Phil Sirvid (Curator Vertebrates, Te Papa)

1 April: New Zealand orchid conservation progress from the Lions Ōtari Native Plant Conservation Laboratory
Speaker: Jennifer Alderton-Moss (Plant Conservation Researcher, Lions Ōtari Native Plant Conservation Laboratory)