NEXT MEETING:
MEETING: Monday 7 September 2026 at 7:30 pm. At St Alban’s Community Centre, 1049 Colombo Street, Christchurch (parking available at 126 Caledonian Road, see https://www.sacc.org.nz/). Speaker: Richard Clayton. Topic: DOC threatened plant programme.
Richard Clayton is a plant ecologist. He has been working for DOC off and on for the last 20 years, providing technical advice, support and guidance to rangers and managers undertaking front line conservation work.
Richard’s talk will explore several important conservation sites, including Kaitorete, Ō Tū Wharekai, and the landscapes around Kura Tāwhiti (Castle Hill), highlighting the monitoring, management, and restoration efforts underway to safeguard threatened plant populations. Richard will also share recent work DOC is undertaking in ex situ conservation, including efforts around propagation, seed banking, and translocation programmes that are attempting to help secure species beyond their current, natural habitats.
He will also discuss why up-to-date information is critical for effective conservation and outline some opportunities for others to contribute, including helping improve records of threatened plant populations across the region.
NEXT FIELD TRIP:
FIELD TRIP: Sunday 19 September 2026. The Gorge Nursery and Johnston farm, Ashley Gorge.
Please note this trip is on Saturday 19 September (not the 12th as previously advertised)
We will visit The Gorge Nursery before exploring owner Sis Johnston’s family’s farm – a working farm set in a rugged and wild landscape, where the Lees Valley Road and Ashley River snake along the magnificent landscape, with views across the Canterbury Plains. Forested gullies with rocky, fern-flanked creeks feed into the Ashley River, and areas of interest include mosses and liverworts on the rocks and tree trunks, both very dry drylands and very wet wetlands and foothill forests dominated by native beech. We will also search for Exocarpos bidwillii, New Zealand’s only native representative of the Sandalwood family – a fascinating parasitic shrub. While mustering through the wild and expansive landscape, Sis has heard the sounds of a raging waterfall – a very tempting adventure through this very special bit of the country, only a stone’s throw from Christchurch. A range of native plants and large trees, including fruit trees, will be available for purchase from the nursery.
Where to meet: Meet for carpooling at 9:00 am at the Peg Tavern carpark (899 Main North Road, Belfast), to reach The Gorge Nursery at 9:45 am. Alternatively, meet at The Gorge Nursery (479 Ashley Gorge Road) at 9:45 am. Please note there is limited car parking at the nursery – please carpool and pack in as tightly as possible.
Suitability: Moderate difficulty with some quite steep terrain. Sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended. A 4WD is advised if bringing a vehicle.
What to bring: Lunch, drink bottle/thermos, sturdy footwear, raincoat, warm jacket, hand lens, walking stick, camera. A 4WD is advised if bringing a vehicle.
Cost: Suggested petrol reimbursement of $25 to drivers if you get a ride with someone else (calculated from $1/km, 4 to a car).
iNaturalist: Please respect private land, and limit observations to roadsides and public land.
Trip leader/s: Tom Ferguson. Please text 027 471 6563 if you intend to come along, so we can let you know if the trip is cancelled. We may limit the number of attendees for health and safety purposes, so please confirm your attendance as soon as possible.
Covid-19 Notice: Canterbury Botanical Society committee encourages members to take measures to reduce transmission risk of Covid-19 (and other respiratory illnesses) at Bot Soc events. Face coverings/masks and normal Covid-19 precautions (e.g. physical distancing where possible) are welcomed. Please do not attend Bot Soc meetings or field trips if you have Covid or any cold/flu symptoms.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
MEETING: Monday 5 October 2026 at 7:30 pm. Jane Gosden – Ephemeral tarns (PHD thesis).
FIELD TRIP: Saturday 10 October 2026. Medbury Scientific Reserve.
MEETING: Monday 2 November 2026 at 7:30 pm. Sarah Wyse – Pinus radiata hybrids as a solution to forestry’s wilding conifer problem.
FIELD TRIP: Saturday 7 November 2026. Steephead, Banks Peninsula.
CAMP: November 12-16 (Show Weekend). Westport.
MEETING: Monday 7 December 2026. Liadan Dickie (MSc Student, University of Canterbury). Liadan was awarded a Botanical Society Student Grant in 2025 and will speak about her MSc thesis research.
FIELD TRIP: Saturday 12 December 2026. Alpine Trip
ABOUT CANTERBURY BOTANICAL SOCIETY MEETINGS & FIELD TRIPS
The Society holds monthly evening meetings, usually on the first Monday of each month. Meetings start at 7.30 pm. We organise a speaker and follow the meeting with an informal supper and chat.
All members participating in Canterbury Botanical Society activities must abide by our Health and Safety Policy and Member Health and Safety Guide.
Field trips are usually held on the Saturday following the evening meeting. Trips in the winter months are to places closer to Christchurch, while in the warmer months we take advantage of the longer daylight hours to venture further afield.
In November, we usually have a 3-day spring camp held over Show Weekend (Canterbury Anniversary weekend). We sometimes also have a summer camp in January or February. We book affordable accommodation and make daily excursions from this point.
Occasionally we hold workshops on specific topics.
The AGM is usually held the week after King’s Birthday weekend. After the AGM we have a speaker, followed by a shared supper or lunch.
Information for speakers
The meeting room has a data projector (and cable) but you need to bring your own laptop or advise the meeting organiser that they need to bring one. Please check that your laptop is able to connect to an external projector.
