Botanists hone their skills at Pukemokemoke
There was some serious botanising going on at Pukemokemoke today.
Early in the morning two vans discharged a group of students visiting the bush reserve as part of a summer school project.
Waikato University biology lecturer Chrissen Gemmill has been bringing botany students to Pukemokemoke for more than 15 years now, possibly 18, she says.
It’s all because of the amazing plant diversity to be found at the reserve, which is rated a Key Ecological Site by Waikato District Council. In addition to identifying species, the group – who ranged from working professionals to first-year students – learned how to make a herbarium using specimens from the field trip – with permission granted to do so.
Anyone can take the summer school paper, there are no prerequisites, says Dr Gemmill. All you just need to have a fondness for botany. And Jaffas – N8N placed a box on the bridge to help sweeten the day.
And then they were off…
Click here for more information on the Summer School Paper, Biology 226.
Hi Annette, where abouts is this reserve? I’ve read lots about it, but it’s location is still a mystery to me! I’d love to check it out.
Hi Peter, it’s along Whitikahu Rd, just past Whitikahu on the far side of the Tauhei quarry. See this map.