NEXT MEETING:
MONDAY 9 DECEMBER at 7:30 pm. Note the change from our usual date. At St Alban’s Community Centre, 1049 Colombo Street, Christchurch (parking available at 126 Caledonian Road, see https://www.sacc.org.nz/). NB. The meeting will be in the smaller Wardle Room (opposite the office). Speaker: Gail Ingram (Christchurch poet) and ‘open mic’ session for members. Topic: Botanical Poetry night. We all love our native plants, but do you like writing or listening to poems about them too? Then this is the night for you! We will start off with an ‘open mic’ session, where you can read out a botanical poem (or two) you’ve written (or one by another poet), then Gail Ingram will read poems from her latest book, Anthology (a) a collection of flowers https://www.theseventhletter.nz/merch/anthology-n. There are poems about Coprosma crassifolia, Donatia, Dracophyllum, kānuka, Muehlenbeckia, mikimiki, ongaonga/okaoka, poroporo, toetoe, everlasting daisies, sundews, and more. It even contains a poem featuring one of our esteemed Botanical Society members (Colin Meurk)! Gail will have copies of Anthology available for purchase.
You can read more about Gail’s book here: https://flashfrontier.com/gail-ingram-anthology-n-a-collection-of-flowers/
NEXT FIELD TRIP:
SATURDAY 14 DECEMBER. Note the change from our usual date. Orchids of Arthurs Pass. A long day’s outing with the New Zealand Native Orchid Group. This is a much-anticipated trip to catch orchids in flower. Gordon Sylvester and Max Hill from the NZ Native Orchid Group will lead the group to known orchid sites. They hope to see at least ten orchid species: 3 greenhood orchids (Pterostylis species), 4 sun orchids (Thelymitra species), 3 spider orchids (Corybas species), bird orchid (Chiloglottis cornuta), 2 Caladenia species, slender forest orchid (Adenochilus gracilis), beak orchid (Waireia stenopetala), and possibly the beech forest orchid (Townsonia deflexa). There is only one chance a year to catch so many orchids in flower, so the committee has decided the trip will go ahead in sun or rain. To make the most of the long drive, several members have booked overnight accommodation in Arthurs Pass.
When and where to meet: 8 am at Yaldhurst Hotel carpark to carpool (on the south side of the Old West Coast Road, 100 metres past the Pound Road round-about). The convoy will also stop at Springfield public toilets at 9 am to pick up passengers. Alternatively meet the group at 10 am at Greyneys Shelter.
What to bring: Lunch, drink bottle/thermos, sturdy footwear, warm jacket, raincoat, warm hat and sun hat. A hand lens will be useful. Bring a first aid kit, PLB and mobile phone if you have these available.
Suitability: Short walks on formed tracks between Greyneys Shelter and the Otira Valley.
Cost: Suggested petrol reimbursement of $77 to drivers if you get a ride with someone else (calculated from $1/km, 310 km, 4 to a car).
Trip leaders: Gordon Sylvester and Max Hill (botanical leaders, NZ Native Orchid Group), and Alice Shanks (H&S, car-pooling). Please email fieldtrips@canterburybotanicalsociety.org.nz or text or ring Alice on 027-366-1246 if you intend to come along so we know where you will join the group and can organise carpooling.
References:
– NZ Native Orchid Group https://www.nativeorchids.co.nz/
– Download the app for the interactive key for the identification of New Zealand native orchids
– Check out iNaturalist records for Arthurs Pass https://inaturalist.nz/observations?place_id=88843&taxon_id=47217
Thelymitra hatchii, Arthurs Pass. Photo: Melissa Hutchison.
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 3 February 2025, time TBA. Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Hagley Park. Join Luke Martin (Christchurch Botanic Gardens Curator) for a walk in the Botanic Gardens to see practical conservation of threatened Canterbury plants.
WAITANGI WEEKEND CAMP: Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 February 2025. Fox Peak Ski Field and Opihi Gorge. Our 2024 Spring Camp was postponed due to poor weather and will now be our 2025 Summer Camp over Waitangi Weekend. The Waitangi Weekend Summer Camp will be based at the Fox Peak Ski Field Lodge near Fairlie. Accommodation in the ski field lodge (in shared bunk rooms) will cost $70/night per person if we have fewer than 20 attendees and will come down to $35 a night if we have 20 or more attendees. See https://www.foxpeak.co.nz/accommodation for more information about the lodge. We will provide dinner for all 3 nights (vegetarian meals), as well as tea, coffee, and milk – this will cost $15/night per person. BYO meat, breakfast and lunch. Please organise your car share if required – a payment of $100 to the driver is suggested. There is also the option to come down on the Friday night and stay 2 nights, however priority will be given to attendees staying all 3 nights.
Alternatively, book your own accommodation in Fairlie. We will meet at Fox Peak Ski Field lodge at 10 am on Thursday 6 of February and botanise the ski field after we settle in.
We will aim to visit on the following days (depending on weather conditions)
– Fox Ski Field (Moderate or Difficult options)
– Opihi Gorge (Easy or Difficult options)
– North Opuha Track and Lake Opuha (Easy or Difficult options)
– Pioneer Park (Easy)
Please email fieldtrips@canterburybotanicalsociety.org.nz if you are interested in coming to the camp or would like more information.
We will require you to fill in a Google Form and pay a deposit for accommodation before confirmation is given for attendance.
MEETING: Monday 3 March 2025 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: Dr Antony Shadbolt (Ecology Team, Christchurch City Council). Topic: Forest restoration experiences in Christchurch and Borneo.
FIELD TRIP: Saturday 8 March 2025. Kaitorete Spit.
MEETING: Monday 7 April 2025 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: Dr Cathy Rufaut. Topic: Enhancement of alkaline saline soil-free bare substrates and specialist ecosystems in southern New Zealand.
FIELD TRIP: Saturday 12 April 2025. TBA.
MEETING: Monday 5 May 2025 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: Nicholas Head (Ecologist, Christchurch City Council). Topic: The five wonders of the world in Canterbury (that you may never see).
FIELD TRIP: Saturday 10 May 2025. Staveley forests – managed restoration and fungi in the Totty forest and Staveley camp forest remnants. Trip leader: Alice Shanks.
CANTERBURY BOTANICAL SOCIETY AGM: Saturday 7 June 2025. At St Alban’s Community Centre, 1049 Colombo Street, Christchurch (parking available at 126 Caledonian Road, see https://www.sacc.org.nz/).
MEETING: Monday 7 July 2025 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: Jane Gosden (PhD Student, University of Canterbury). Topic: Flora of South Island ephemeral tarns/kettle holes.
FIELD TRIP: Saturday 12 July 2025. TBA.
MEETING: Monday 4 August 2025 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: Dr Matiu Prebble (University of Canterbury). Topic: New insights from unearthing stumps from former Christchurch forests.
FIELD TRIP: Saturday 9 August 2025. TBA.
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. We have been exploring new venues to hold our evening meetings, so please check the meeting notices to confirm where meetings will be held.
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.
Field trips are usually held on the Saturday following the evening meeting. Trips in the winter months are to places closer to Christchurch and in the warmer months we take advantage of the longer daylight hours to venture further afield.
We have a week-long summer camp in January or February, and visit places which are too far to access from Christchurch for a day trip. We book affordable accommodation and make daily excursions from this point.
In spring we usually have a long weekend camp over Show Weekend (Canterbury Anniversary weekend) in November.
Occasionally we hold workshops on specific topics.
The AGM is held on the first Saturday after Queen’s Birthday weekend. After the AGM we have a speaker, followed by a shared finger food lunch.