News & Events
News
Botany on the roof – Radio NZ interview with Dr Janice Lord, “Our Changing World” March 8th 2012
Recently, Dr Janice Lord was interviewed by Allison Ballance for the Our Changing World programme on Radio New Zealand.
Our Changing World is a mix of in depth interviews, and covers topics across all scientific disciplines, natural history and environmental issues.
You can listen to Janice's interview, or download it from Radio New Zealand directly.
6th Annual BSO Photography competition
Closing date 11th April 2012.
Students can join the Botanical Society of Otago for $5 and enter the photo competition and win up to $200 and the chance to have your work featured in the BSO calendar
There are 3 categories:
1. Botanical portrait
2. Plants in the landscape
3. Plant interactions
Entry forms can be picked up from the display shelves outside the secretary's office in the Botany Department or downloaded from the downloads section of the BSO web site.
VII Southern Connection Congress
21 - 25 January 2013. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
The Southern Connection Congress links scientists interested in the natural sciences in the Southern Hemisphere. To date topics have included biogeography, ecology, conservation, ecophysiology, invasions, ethnography, phylogenetics, phylogeography and Earth and ocean processes.
The aim is to learn from studies of both shared and divergent biotas and cultures, and their histories in different lands and oceans, in order to contribute solutions to sustaining species and ecosystem services. We also identify contributions from southern regions to understanding global patterns and processes.
For more information about Southern Connections, visit the website.
Landmark Lecture - The Meaning of 'Eco' Science or Brand?
Professor Kath Dickinson
Wednesday 12th of October, 7:30 pm.
St David Street Lecture Theatre.
View the poster for more details.
Botany postgraduate student colloquium a big success!
Thanks to colloquium organisers Chris Cornwall, Kathryn Lister, Lars Ludwig and Rocio Suarez-Jimenenz.
This year's botany colloquium was a great success showcasing the wide variety of research being conducted in the department, ranging from marine to terrestrial to aerial! Three students won prizes for outstanding presentations; Jaz Morris (4th year) for his work on the effects of greenhouse conditions on the physiology of giant kelp, Diego Urrutia Guevara (MSc) for his work on alpine plant and soil composition in the Old Man Range and Tim Crawford (PhD) for his research into the low-oxygen electron transport in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.
Guest speaker Professor Robert Poulin from Otago's own Department of Zoology impressed everyone with his witty and informative presentation on "Getting your research published." His advice was beneficial to staff and students alike and we very much appreciated Robert's time and enthusiasm.
Academic staff also contributed by competing in our inaugural 3-minute research competition in which Janice Lord took out the overall winner for her smooth moves and presentation titled "sex, bugs and rock'n'roll."
Thanks go to all the presenters, the Department of Botany for funding, the Botanical Society of Otago for putting up the student awards.
Peter Raven, the John Smaillie
Tennant Lecture
John Smaillie Tennant Lecture. Thursday 21 July 2011 at 6.00 pm, St David Lecture Thearter.
How many species will survive the 21st century?
Peter H. Raven, President Emeritus, Missouri Botanical Garden
More on Peter's talk.
Ecology 111 Prize Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the first year Botany prize for their excellence in ECOL111.
Students Simon Sheppard, Marcus Richards and Kiersten Fletcher-Zirke received their awards from Dr David Orlovich at the first BIOL113 lecture.
NZMSS conference 2011
Thanks to Marine Science for organising the NZMSS conference 2011. The location was great – Rakiura - Stewart Island, the weather appropriate for an indoor event and the food was amazing!
The Botany Department was well represented by four students, two post-docs & an assistant practice fellow. Our work contributed to 3 different conference sessions:
- Marine Ecology
- Ocean Acidification
- Customary Management
The students did a great job presenting their work and answering challenging questions. Talks by Chris Cornwall, Rebecca James, Derek Richards and Katja Schweikert, can be viewed as pdfs.
Plants @ Otago
The Plants @ Otago workshop hosted by the Department of Botany was attended by 48 scientists and students from the University of Otago and associated research entities. 21 scientists from 11 departments showcased their plant related research. We saw a vast range of work presented from the fields of ecology, cultural involvement, applied physiology, plant genetics and protein analysis to name but a few.
This inaugural workshop was a great networking opportunity and a successful event for the new research cluster. In an open discussion participants decided to hold a “PLANTS @ OTAGO” workshop once a year and to further expand the networking nationally and internationally. For a continuous presence of the research cluster, involved departments will host at least one of their departmental seminars throughout the year under the category of PLANTS @ OTAGO.
The programme, a summary of the presentations and a list of participants, including contact emails, will shortly be available in pdf format.
Thanks to all participants for their support, to the student helpers on the day and the Department of Botany for funding and hosting the event.
Visit the Plants @ Otago website.
Plants @ Otago - Departmental Workshop, 8th June 2011
Are you interested in Plants or research related to Plants? Plants @ Otago is a workshop intended to foster relationships with other researchers at the University of Otago who also have an interest in Plants.
Who was keeping it hot down South?
We were looking for pollinators, measuring thermal properties of mega herbs, and working on deciphering the pollination biology of various species.
Field work conditions included battling high winds to stay on the track, lying in the sun observing pollinator activity, avoiding sealions on the way to study sites and even a few snow flurries to keep us not just on our toes but making snow angels.
Initial results from the trip are looking exciting, with many new interactions being discovered, and thermal images showing off just how hot these megaherbs can get, even in less than desirable weather conditions!
Lynne Huggins, Janice Lord and Vickey Tomlinson hunting for pollinators along boardwalk below Beeman Hill.
Lynne Huggins, Vickey Tomlinson and Janice Lord about to count sex ratios of Anisotome latifolia, a megaherb, along Col Lyall.
Hiding in the herbs – Vickey Tomlinson, Janice Lord and Lynne Huggins
A Big Congratualations to Graduands
A big congratualations from everyone in the department.
Congratulations to Aimee Pritchard
Aimee won the Tom Moss Award for best student contribution at the recent 25th John Child Bryophyte & Lichen Workshop held at Riverton from the 4th to the 9th of December.
Congratulations to Sir Alan Mark for his Charles Fleming Award for Environmental Achievement from the Royal Society!
The 2010 Charles Fleming Award for Environmental Achievement has been awarded to Emeritus Professor Sir Alan Francis Mark FRSNZ, Emeritus Professor of Botany.
Welcome to Dr Ralf Rautenberger
Ralf will be working with Catriona Hurd and David Burritt, examining the interactive effects of solar UV-B-radiation and nitrogen assimilation on formation and detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Ulva sp.
Events
Botany Seminars
Botany Seminars are held every second Wednesday at noon in the Union Street Lecture Theatre. For more details, see the Complete seminar list.
Map of University of Otago buildings (pdf).