Course organiser:Neil Fleming
29 May:
Ines Schonberger on 'Early Plant Hunters: 'Dr Ines Schonberger is a Plant Systematist and Herbarium Manager in LandCare. She says that collecting plant specimens (live plants and herbarium specimens - sometimes referred to as “plant hunting”) is an activity that has occurred for centuries. Sometimes, people like Sir Joseph Banks (a wealthy amateur scientist) and Dr Daniel Solander (a scientist trained by Carl Linnaeus) accompanied scientific expeditions for the sole purpose of collecting. At other times, collecting was a hobby and was incorporated into daily activities, as it was for William Colenso. This presentation will give a brief overview of early plant hunters in New Zealand and how their collections continue to influence taxonomic research.
5 Jun:
John Clemens on 'Why do we need Botanic Gardens?: 'John Clemens comes to us from Christchurch Botanic Gardens.
12 Jun:
Steve Wagstaff on 'Impacts of natural disaster on biodiversity in New Zealand:' Steve Wagstaff comes to us from LandCare. He is a research associate affiliated with the Allan Herbarium, He has studied the New Zealand flora for nearly 20 years and has written numerous papers on plant evolution, biogeography and classification.
He says "New Zealand is located on the Pacific Rim “ring of fire” and straddles latitudinal zones from the Subantarctic to the Subtropics. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tropical cyclones have occurred throughout its evolutionary history. These natural hazards often trigger a cascade of unforeseen and unpredictable events that can have a profound impact on biological diversity."
19 Jun:
Peter Pelser on 'Modern Plant Hunters: 'Peter Pelser comes to us from the University of Canterbury where he is a Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences. He says "I will talk about my work as a modern plant taxonomist. I will focus on the challenges that contemporary plant collectors are facing, talk about some of the modern tools that we use to learn more about biodiversity, and share some of my field-work experiences in the Philippines. There will be plenty of time to ask me anything you always wanted to know about plant hunting!"
26 Jun:
Colin Neal on 'Plants Endangering New Zealand: 'Colin Neal comes to us from Customs and Security, Christchurch International Airport.