News

Update: the plan is in the Plan!

After a long, tense Council meeting nature - and Ōtari - got the nRedeveloping Ōtari’s old, crammed nursery facilities is now on the cards.od, when the 2024 Long-term Plan Amendment was passed in late November. Councillors were reminded by Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Trustees of the Council’s own vision for Wellington: a place where people and nature thrive. Thus, the $3.7 million set aside to redevelop the area encompassing Ōtari’s old, cramped nursery, propagation, laboratory and library spaces was reinstated into the Long-term Plan. (See previous story for the details.)

The Long-term Plan will go out for public consultation early next year before final ratification.

Posted: 12 December 2024

International acclaim for Ōtari orchid scientists

Stories of native orchid conservation research at Ōtari impressed an international audience of orchid specialists, in Perth in September. Scientists from the Lions Ōtari Plant Conservation Laboratory madeJennifer Alderton-Moss and her winning poster presentations to the 8th International Orchid Conservation Congress on their groundbreaking research undertaken around the germination of rare native orchids. A poster summarising progress on the genus Corybas (helmet orchids), designed and presented by plant conservation researcher, Jennifer Alderton-Moss, was awarded Best Poster at the Congress. Conservation and Science Advisor, Karin van der Walt, gave a talk about Gastrodia (potato orchids, and especially the team’s work on G. cooperae) and Carlos Lehnebach (Botany Curator, Te Papa who is also part of the Otari research project) gave a talk about Corybas carsei (swamp helmet orchid). There were about 90 attendees, who came from far flung places like Czechia and Taiwan, and the week was packed with 50 talks and two workshops, says Jennifer, whose conference attendance was sponsored by the Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush Trust.

Posted: 1 October 2024

Community and plants the stars of a great Open Day

Jane and Andrew gathering plants from the Trust Nursery.Community and plants were the obvious themes at the annual Ōtari Open Day, on September 14.

Plant sales were hugely popular – this was the first Open Day that all the plants on sale were propagated from the Ōtari collections in the Trust’s own nursery, thanks to the huge efforts of Jane Humble, Lynley Trower and other volunteers, supported by Ōtari garden staff. Ōtari gardeners and expert Behind the scenes, Ōtari Nursery tourbotanists were on hand to advise those keen to spread the native plant love into their home gardens.

Others took the chance for a tour of the special plants being raised in the Ōtari Nursery.

Meanwhile, local experts were on hand Learning with Tū Mātou Orato discuss everything from kiwi in the capital, to predator, dog and weed control, botany and community and volunteer conservation.

Kids and big kids learned of traditional wellbeing activities with Tū Mātau Ora, raranga with Ōtari Raranga Weavers, rongoā with rangatira Sharli Solomon, Making putiputiand discovered little crawlie things through the microscopes at Open Lab.

Fungi guru and new Trustee, Geoff Ridley, was the delighted raffle-winning recipient of Judi Lapsley Miller’s stunning artwork: ‘Kererū on kōwhai’.

It was great to see so many people enjoying the day, said Ōtari Manager, Tim Park. ‘We are very lucky to have such an engaged network of supporters A buzzy placein the local community and it’s always great to see people and share plant stories.’

Trust Chair, Kevin O`Connor, agreed there was a lovely community feel about Open Day this year. ‘Thanks to everyone involved, especially the Council’s Wellington Gardens staff who all did a great job.’

Posted: 15 September 2024