Visit our seminar page for the latest on talks for 2018.
Department seminar - Esther Dale
Friday 23rd May, 2018
Our next seminar will be held by Esther Dale, PhD candidate.
Esther's talk talk is titled Lineage diversification in relation to biomes: within or across biome boundaries?
More information about about Esther's seminar can be found on our seminars page.
Seminars are held at the Betts Workroom, 24 Union Street West at 12:00 pm.
2018 John Smaillie Tennant Lecture
Monday April 23rd April, 2018
The 2018 John Smaillie Tennant Lecture will be presented by Dr Peter de Lange, Associate Professor of Environmental and Animal Sciences at Unitech Institute of Technology.
The title of Peter's is What’s in a name? The politics of plant systematics. More information about the lecture is available on our Tennant Lecture series page.
The Lecture will be held Thursday 24 May at 6 pm-7 pm in Archway 2 lecture Theater, Union Street East.
All welcome.
Department seminar - Ian Geary
Monday April 23rd April, 2018
The department's next seminar will be held by Ian Geary, PhD Candidate of Geology and Botany.
The title of Ian 's talk is Fossil plant and fungal floras of Auckland’s Pliocene.
The seminar will be held on Wednesday, May 2nd, 12.00 pm at the Betts Workroom, 42 Union Street Lecture Theatre, Union Street West.
More information can be found on our seminars page.
Department seminar - Sophie Fern
Wednesday March 28th, 2018
The next seminar will be held by Sophie Fern, PhD Candidate with Botany.
Sophie's talk is titled Does non-human charisma affect conservation decisions in New Zealand?
Seminars are held at the Betts Workroom, 24 Union Street West at 12:00 pm.
More information can be found on our seminars page.
Department seminar - Professor Anna Sher
Thursday 15th mach, 2018
The next seminar will be held by Sophie Fern, PhD Candidate with Botany.
Professor Sheer's talk is titled Causes and consequences of exotic tree removal in riparian zones of the Southwestern US
Seminars are held at the Betts Workroom, 24 Union Street West at 12:00 pm.
More information about the talk can be found on our seminars page.
Department seminar - Professor Janneke Hille Ris Lambers
Friday 2nd March, 2018
Our next seminar will be held by Janneke Hille Ris Lambers, Walker Endowed Professor of Natural History, University of Washington, Seattle.
The title of Professor Hille Ris Lambers' talk is Forest Community Assembly in Response to Climate Change.
The seminar will be held on Wednesday, March 14th, 12.00 pm Betts Workroom, Union Street Lecture Theatre, Union Street West.
More information can be found on our seminars page.
Department seminar - Professor Richard Gill
Tuesday 20th Februar, 2018
Our next seminar will be held by Professor Richard Gill, Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Utah, USA.
The title of Professor Gill's talk is On the Ecology and Evolution of Dehiscence in NZ Tussock Grasses.
Professor Gill's seminar will be held on Wednesday, February 28th, 12.00 pm, Betts Workroom, Union Street Lecture Theatre, Union Street West.
More information can be found on our seminars page.
Department seminar - Andrew Nilsen
Monday 30th October, 2017
Our next seminar will be held by Andrew Nilsen, PhD Candidate of the department.
The title of Andrew's talk is Evolution of truffle-like fungi.
Andrew's seminar will be held on Wednesday, November 8th, 12.00pm in the Benham Seminar Room (B215), Department of Zoology
More information can be found on our seminars page.
Department seminar - Dr Angela Brandt
Thursday 21st September, 2017
Our next seminar will be held by Dr Angela Brandt of Landcare Research, on how immigration timing of New Zealand plant ancestors affects present-day communities.
The seminar will be held Wednesday, October 4th, 12.00pm in the Benham Seminar Room (B215) of the Department of Zoology.
More information on Angela's talk can be found on our seminars page.
The 16th Annual Geoff Baylis Lecture
Monday 11th September, 2017
Living in the rainshadow: New Zealand’s most distinctive and threatened ecosystems
Dr Susan Walker, Landcare Research, presents the 16th Annual Geoff Baylis Lecture hosted by the Botanical Society of Otago in conjunction with the Department of Botany.
For the last 20 years Dr Walker’s research has focused on the past and present ecology of some of New Zealand’s driest, and most invaded and modified terrestrial ecosystems. These mixtures of short tussock grasslands, shrublands, cushionfields and mat vegetation are the interface between high producing pasture and “our golden tussock grasslands” in the inland eastern South Island. These habitats have special ecological character, representing the last remaining examples of the evolutionary response of the native biota to protracted arid conditions in New Zealand, and are rapidly disappearing under irrigated pasture and wilding conifers. Dr Walker will describe the cryptic ecology of a disappearing biome, focusing on the fauna and flora of the Mackenzie Basin
Wednesday 20 September 2017, starting 6pm, Castle 1 Lecture Theatre.
Drinks and nibbles starting from 5:15pm (in the concourse).
Public most welcome.
Postgraduate Seminar
Monday 11th September, 2017
Jasmine and Chelsea, two postgraduate students based in Botany, are hosting our next department seminar.
Both talks will be held on Wednesday, September 13th, 12.00pm at Marples Seminar Room, in the Department of Zoology.
Jasmine Divinagracia
Improving diagnostic tools for potyvirus detection
Different diagnostic tools are currently being utilised to detect and manage a potyviral infection. Recently, a new gene called PIPO has been discovered to mediate potyvirus spread. My project will focus on PIPO as a marker to improve diagnosis.
Chelsea Kerr
Post-harvest storage of looseleaf lettuce under different light conditions; nutrient and bioactive levels and potential health benefits
One third of food grown for human consumption is lost post-harvest, therefore it would be wise to focus on increasing post-harvest storage practices in addition to increasing yield. With an increasing human population, it is important that the nutrient and bioprotective roles, that fresh fruit and vegetables provide, is maintained through post-harvest storage.
Rebecca interviewed for Otago on Location
30th August, 2017
Rebecca Macdonald was interviewed as part of Otago's On Location series, where we get a behind the scenes peak at the department's glasshouses, and learn more about their history and daily use in research and teaching.
Rebecca MacDonald in glasshouse 2, by Biology123 experiments.
Postgrad Seminar
25th August, 2017
Two of our postgraduate students will be holding talks on their honours projects on September 6th.
The title of Ziva's talk is "Effect of multiple stressors on the bacterial community composition in freshwater streams", and James' "Nuclear phylogeny of the genus Celmisia with attention to trichome evolution".
Both talks are scheduled for Wednesday, September 6th, 12.00pm, in the Benham Seminar Room (B215), Department of Zoology
More information about Ziva and James' talk can be found on our seminars page.
John Smaillie Tennant Lecture
2nd August, 2017
The 2017 John Smaillie Tennant Lecture will be given by Dr Patrick Brownsey, Research Fellow at Te Papa.
A social history of the fern in New Zealand
Patrick's lecture will discuss the role of the fern in the social history of New Zealand, and outline some of the reasons why it has achieved iconic status. From his experience as both Curator of Botany and Curator of Stamps at Te Papa, he will show how knowledge and understanding of New Zealand ferns was developed by early voyages of discovery and immigrant botanists, and how social fashions and frenzies influenced scientific understanding of New Zealand ferns, especially in the second half of the 19th century. The talk will be illustrated with material held at Te Papa and from a personal collection of ephemera.
Date: Thursday 7 September, 6pm-7pm.
Location: Archway 3 Lecture Theatre, Union Street East.
All Welcome
Seminar Cancelled
21st July, 2017
Jaz Morris' talk has been canceled.
Seminar - Dr Evelyn Armstrong
Wednesday 17th May, 2017
Dr Evelyn Armstrong, from NIWA and University of Otago Research Centre for Oceanography will be giving the department's next seminar. Evelyn's talk is on Subantarctic Phytoplankton and their responses to change.
More information on Evelyn's talk can be found on our seminar page.
The Fungal Foray
Tuesday 16th May, 2017
David Orlovich was recently interviewed by Radio New Zealand's Jesse Mulligan on the 31st Fungal Foray, held in Hokianga.
David's interview can be heard on the Radio New Zealand website.
Check us out on Instagram
Wednesday 10th May, 2017
Be sure to take a look at some of our images recently posted on Instagram.
Seminar - Professor Aoxue Wang
Wednesday 10th May, 2017
Professor Aoxue Wang, from the College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Harbin, China will be presenting at our next department seminar.
The title of Aoxue's talk is 'Can we create the versatile tomato resistant to manydiseases, and even tolerant to cold?'
The seminar will be held Thursday, May 11th , 1.00pm, Benham Seminar Room (B215), Department of Zoology.
Seminar - Dr Angela Brandt
Monday 10th April, 2017
Dr. Angela Brandt (Landcare Research) will be speaking on ‘Products of history: Immigration timing of New Zealand plant ancestors affects present-day communities’.
Angela's talk will be held on Wednesday, May 3rd, 12.00pm Benham Seminar Room (B215), Department of Zoology.
More information on Angela's talk can be found on our seminars page.
Botanical Society of Otago Student Field Grant
Thursday 6th April, 2017
Applications are invited for a grant from the Peter Bannister Student Field Grant Fund to assist those enrolled for a PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons) or PGDip at the University of Otago, and whose thesis deals with some aspect of botany.
The grant is for fieldwork related expenses, and has a closing date for applications of18 August 2017
More information on how to apply can be found on our scholarships page.
In the Field - Interview with Janice Lord
Monday 27th March, 2017
Janice Lord was recently interviewed for an article in the Otago Daily times about research being conducted at Coronet Peak Station, Central Otago.
The Lakes and I, and Lab at the Lake
Monday 27th March, 2017
Catchments Otago is excited to share details of the two joint events being held in Central Otago next week; a PechaKucha evening in Queenstown on Friday 31st of March, and a Lab at the Lake family day in Wanaka on Sunday the 2nd of April.
More information about the two events is available on the Catchments Otago website.
We look forward to seeing many of you at the events.
Seminar - Rohan Allen
Tuesday 21st March, 2017
PhD Candidate Rohan Allen will be discussing the Ecological and Evolutionary significance of Genetic Diversity in Phytoplankton responses to Oceanic Climate Change.
Rohan's talk is scheduled for Wednesday April 5th at 12.00pm in the Benham Seminar Room.
More information about Rohan's talk can be found on our seminars page.
Seminar - Ulf Molau
Thursday 23rd February, 2017
Patrick Brownsey, Research Fellow, Te Papa will discuss the role of the fern in the social history of New Zealand, and outline some of the reasons why it has achieved iconic status. From his experience as both Curator of Botany and Curator of Stamps at Te Papa, he will show how knowledge and understanding of New Zealand ferns was developed by early voyages of discovery and immigrant botanists, and how social fashions and frenzies influenced scientific understanding of New Zealand ferns, especially in the second half of the 19th century. The talk will be illustrated with material held at Te Papa and from a personal collection of ephemera.
Professor Ulf Molau will be giving the department's second seminar for 2017. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Ulf's talk is titled Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: about the new platform IPBES.
More information about Ulf's talk can be found on our seminars page.
Seminar - Elisabeth Cooper
Thursday 23rd February, 2017
Professor Elisabeth Cooper will be giving the department's first seminar for 2017. Elisabeth is based at the Faculty of Biosciences at Institute for Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Norway. Elisabeth's talk is titled High Arctic ecosystem responses to changes in snow cover. More information about Elisabeth's talk can be found on our seminars page. A reminder that the Brenda Shore Award for Women will be closing on the 28th of February 2017. Brenda Shore Award for Women
Wednesday 22nd February, 2017
