MY COMMUNITY NEWS From Brobdingnagians to Lilliputians: Reconstructing Prehistoric New Zealand

Dr Nic Rawlence, University of Otago

Guardians of an outstanding landscape

Aotearoa New Zealand has been described as the closest thing to studying life on another planet. Yet the animals that survived the arrival of humans are only a fraction of the wide and varied menagerie that originally called these lonely isles home. While we may think we know what prehistoric New Zealand looked like and how this ecosystem functioned, new ancient DNA techniques have revolutionised our understanding of this lost world. In his talk, Nic will take you on a journey, showing how his lab’s latest research is adding new and exciting chapters to the biological heritage of Aotearoa’s living and extinct taonga species.

his PhD at the University of Adelaide in 2011 he moved to the University of Waikato before settling in Dunedin in 2013. Nic’s research focuses on reconstructing prehistoric ecosystems, how they have been impacted by humans and climate change, and what we can learn from this. He uses ancient DNA, palaeontology and archaeology to solve these natural mysteries, and enjoys communicating this research to the public, even busting a few myths now and then!

Submitted by Ben Goddard

written by Anne Steven & Jan Kelly

This is nature’s slow way of resetting a balance. To assist nature, seed is collected each summer and young snow tussocks grown up to plant back into the Reserve each autumn as “islands” in the bared areas.

Nic Rawlence is Director of the Otago Palaeogenenetics Laboratory in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago and a Senior Lecturer in Ancient DNA. After gaining

For 15 years now Lindis Pass Conservation Group has been carrying out weed control in the Lindis Pass Scenic Reserve.

When you next drive through and enjoy the magni cent sweep of tall tussock over the rhythm of spur and gully, do send a thought to the group. Without their e ort, the Pass landscape would be riddled with brier like the country to the north and south of it; and patched with dreaded lupin, an escaped garden plant that smothers native owers and splashes the tawny landscape with hard colour. Broom, wilding pines and Hieracium are also in the group’s sights. Sheep grazing on the tall tussocklands is seen by some as the way to control the High Country scourge of grey mats of Hieracium daisy. But in the Scenic Reserve, seedling snow tussocks and grasses are now growing through it. If left to thrive they will shade it out.

More volunteers are urgently needed to carry on the work of the group. A workday is held each month on a weekend, weather permitting. Gear is provided and rides are available. For more details visit www.facebook.com/ LindisPassConservationGroup or contact Anne Steven, 021 2939 207, a.steven@xtra.co.nz or Jan Kelly 03 443 4337.

Friday, 24 February at 6.00pm Presbyterian Community Centre, 94 Tenby Street, Wanaka. All welcome. $5 per person. Students