The conference organising committe have put together 5 exciting field trip options catering to a range of interests and fitness options, all running on Thursday 15 October. You have the option of bringing your own lunch or having lunch provided if you select this when you register.
Urban Ecology
When: 9:00 am – 4.30pm
Where: Ōtari Native Botanic Garden & Wilton’s Bush Reserve
Transport: Catch the #14 city bus or private vehicle
Fitness level: Medium
Numbers: Limited to 30 participants
Field trip leaders: Megan Ireland and Tim Park
Cost: $20
About: Ōtari Native Botanic Garden is the only botanic garden dedicated solely to Aotearoa New Zealand’s native plants and is celebrating its centenary! Ōtari showcases more than 1,200 carefully curated species, hybrids, and cultivars from across the motu. Adjacent to the gardens, Wilton Bush Reserve comprises over 100 hectares of remnant and regenerating forest. With less than 2% of Wellington’s original forest remaining, much of what survives is found here.
This field trip includes behind-the-scenes access to the nursery and the Lions Ōtari Plant Conservation Laboratory, along with guided interpretation of the forest ecosystem, and discussion about ongoing restoration efforts.
Kāpiti Wetlands
When: 9:00 am – 4.30pm
Where: Ngā Manu Nature Reserve and Waikanae Estuary Scientific Reserve
Transport: Charter bus from Te Papa
Fitness level: Low
Numbers: Limited to 50 participants
Cost: $25
Field trip leaders: Finn Michalak and Rhys Mills (TBC)
About: Ngā Manu Nature Reserve protects part of one of the largest remnants of swamp forest remaining in the Wellington Region with abundant mature kahikatea, pukatea and maire tawake. Reserve staff run breeding programmes for rare native birds and lizards as well as leading successful efforts to reintroduce endangered plants including Dactylanthus taylorii, and Korthalsella salicornioides.
After the easy walk around Ngā Manu the bus will stop at the Waikanae river mouth, a shore bird hotspot and largely intact salt marsh, for a further chance to botanise and enjoy the views out to Kāpiti Island and up to the Tararua ranges.
Cook Strait
When: 9:00 am – 4.30pm
Where: Baring Head, East Harbour Regional Park
Transport: Charter bus from Te Papa
Fitness level: High
Field trip leaders: Matt Ward
Numbers: Limited to 30 participants
Cost: $20
About: Baring Head lies at the eastern entrance to Wellington Harbour and forms part of East Harbour Regional Park. The area includes coastal escarpments, uplifted marine terraces and a broad river valley and lagoon of the Wainuiomata river. Exposed to the full force of howling Cook Strait winds and wave action this extreme environment has shaped unique coastal plant communities including rare species such as Muehlenbeckia astonii, Discaria toumatou, Crassula mataikona, Korthalsella lindsayi, Sophora molloyi, Clematis afoliata, and Brachyglottis greyi. While Baring Head is still largely dominated by pasture Greater Wellington’s Recloaking Paptūānuku revegetating programme is steadily restoring indigenous vegetation.
This trip involves a challenging walk up, over and around the headland and will include some off-track scrambling to get to some of the best botanical sites. If time allows on the return journey a stop will be made at the top of the Wainuiomata Hill Rd for a brief walk into the beech forest of the Northern Forest section of the Regional Park.
Above The Treeline
When: 9:00 am – 4.30 pm
Where: Mt Climie, Pakuratahi Forest Park
Transport: Charter bus from Te Papa Fitness level: Medium
Field trip leaders: Barrett Pistoll
Numbers: Limited to 24 participants Cost: $20
About: Explore a piece of the lower North Island’s subalpine zone without the arduous hike. This trip will take you in 4wd comfort up 862m high Mt Climie, one of the highest peaks in the Remutaka Range. Along with the stunning views the open tops can deliver (on a good day) the botanical diversity of this island in the sky will make this a highly enjoyable trip.
To top it all off we’ll finish with a gentle walk around Tane’s track near the historic Remutaka rail tunnel, taking you through mixed beech and podocarp forest.
Island Ecology
When: 9:00 am – 4.30 pm
Where: Mana Island
Transport: Train and boat Fitness level: Medium
Field trip leaders: TBC
Numbers: Limited to 30 participants Cost: $80
About: Experience a globally significant island restoration initiative which over the last 40 years has transformed a former sheep station into a thriving coastal ecosystem, home to some of the county’s most threatened birds, lizards, insects, and plants!
Should the weather be too rough for the sea voyage we will instead take a chartered boat to Rocky Bay in Whitireia Park and on to Porirua Scenic Reserve.