Speakers: Aaron Harry and Corey Solomon, Mechanical Design Engineers

Date: Tuesday 6 May

Time: 6pm

Location: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale, Napier

Admission: Gold coin donation

Windsor Energy is a New Zealand-based sustainable thermal energy company. The Projects team, based in Napier, designs industrial boilers to produce heat in the form of steam, hot water or hot air, depending on customer requirements. The boilers can use electricity, natural gas, oil or biomass as a fuel. Much of the work they’re currently doing in New Zealand is converting coal boilers to use electricity or biomass (e.g. wood waste, organic sludge), thereby enabling companies to reduce their carbon emissions.

Aaron and Corey will discuss different thermal energy plants, indirect fired air heaters and energy plant conversions.

Both Aaron and Corey are Hawke’s Bay born and bred. After completing their mechanical engineering degrees at Waikato and Canterbury respectively, they joined RCR Energy, which became part of Windsor Group in March 2019.

Speaker: Moon Chen, Plant Breeder
Date: Thursday, 24 April 2025
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale, Napier
Admission: Gold coin donation

Join us for a fascinating and delicious evening as we explore the science behind apple breeding. In this engaging public talk, you’ll discover how plant breeders combine traditional knowledge with cutting-edge tools to develop apples that are tastier, more resilient, and better suited to changing climates.

We’ll start with a behind-the-scenes look at the goals of plant breeding—from boosting yield and fighting disease, to delivering the crisp, juicy fruit that consumers love. You’ll learn how traits are inherited from parent apples, how long it really takes to breed a new variety, and how technologies like DNA markers and genomic selection are changing the game.

The talk features a case study on Envy™ apples, developed right here in New Zealand by crossing Royal Gala and Braeburn. To bring the story to life, you’ll get to taste all three apples—and see if you can identify the traits passed down from parent to offspring!

Moon Chen is a plant breeder and PhD researcher based at Plant & Food Research in Hawke’s Bay. With a background in fruit breeding and a strong interest in genetics and data-driven innovation, Moon focuses on how apples respond to seasonal changes—particularly bud break and dormancy—and how breeding can improve resilience in a changing climate. She is passionate about bridging science and real-world application. Moon is committed to sharing the stories behind the fruit we eat, and the science that makes it all possible.

Speaker: Dr Barry Scott
Date: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale, Napier

Gene editing has revolutionized the ability to make precise changes to DNA, with the CRISPR-Cas9 breakthrough in 2012 transforming fields such as healthcare, agriculture, and conservation. However, the rapid development of this technology has outpaced public awareness and regulatory frameworks.

To address these challenges, Royal Society Te Apārangi convened an expert panel, supported by a Māori reference group, to explore the scientific, ethical, and regulatory implications of gene editing in New Zealand. This talk will examine how gene editing works, its potential applications, and the legal and social considerations that need to be addressed—including insights from the recently introduced Gene Technology Bill.

Dr. Barry Scott is an Emeritus Professor of Molecular Genetics at Massey University, where he taught and conducted research for nearly 40 years. His work focused on symbiotic interactions between plants and microbes, and he has been deeply involved in gene technology policy and public engagement.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Dr. Scott has served as Vice President (Biological and Life Sciences) of the Royal Society Te Apārangi, co-chaired the Expert Advice Panel on Gene Editing (2016–2018), and was a board member of the Environmental Risk Management Authority. His extensive experience in both molecular genetics research and science policy makes him uniquely positioned to discuss the future of gene editing in New Zealand.

Speaker: Quentin Bennett, Underwater Photographer
Date: Tuesday, 4 March 2025
Time: 6:00 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM)
Location: National Aquarium of New Zealand, 546 Marine Parade, Napier

Places are limited to 80 people. Please arrive early to secure your spot.

As part of Seaweek 2025, we invite you to an exciting lecture by Quentin Bennett, an experienced underwater photographer and keen observer of marine life. Quentin has spent years diving and photographing marine ecosystems across the globe. His work captures the beauty and diversity of marine animals, from majestic humpback whales to the intricate forms of corals, both in New Zealand waters and beyond.

Quentin brings a unique perspective as an observer, sharing his experiences and stunning underwater imagery to showcase the wonders of marine life. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain insights into the marine world through the lens of an expert photographer and passionate explorer.

Speaker: Dr Bill Fry, Principal Scientist, GNS Science, and National Tsunami Model, Director

Date: Thursday, 13 February, 6.00 pm (Door open from 5.30 pm)

Venue: National Aquarium of New Zealand, 546 Marine Parade, Napier

Places are limited to 80 people. Please arrive early to secure your spot.

Admission: Gold coin donation

Physics is revolutionising our understanding of earthquake and tsunami risk in New Zealand and around the globe. For the first time, we are now able to develop realistic models of our biggest earthquakes, including complex interactions of systems of faults and their role in the distribution of land inundation when tsunamis are generated. By analysing these models, we open the door for a wealth of advances that will make us a more resilient and safer Aotearoa. In this talk, Dr Bill Fry will explore how we got here and where we are going, including clear paths toward achieving such fanciful topics as “natural hazard digital twins”, “multi-hazard early warning” and tsunami forecasting with Artificial Intelligence.

Dr Bill Fry is an internationally respected seismo-tectonophysicist and natural hazards scientist, whose primary focus is earthquakes and tsunamis. His research has had a fundamental impact on our understanding of these natural hazards, and also, importantly, on how New Zealand communities prepare for, manage and respond when they occur.

This is an excellent opportunity to hear from a leading expert about scientific research into a topic of direct relevance to Hawke’s Bay.

Speaker: Jinice Bautista-Lack, Doctor of Audiology

Date: Thursday, 5 December starting at 5:45 pm

Venue: Hawke’s Bay Holt Planetarium (Chambers Street, Te Awa, Napier 4110)

A sociable evening with nibbles and drinks before and after the talk.
Limited space – please register on Eventfinda.
Members: Free
Non-members: $15 cash at the door, or join the Society through to 31 March 2026 for just $30.

Reserve your place

Jinice will discuss the changes in the human brain that accompany hearing loss, as well as the positive outcomes of managing hearing loss through amplification. She will also present statistics on hearing loss in New Zealand, with a focus on one of the country’s most common causes: excessive noise.

Jinice has been practising as a clinical audiologist since 2013, with nine years of experience in New Zealand. She holds a Master’s in Clinical Audiology from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines and a Doctor of Audiology Degree from Salus University in the USA. Jinice is a full member of the New Zealand Audiological Society, where she volunteers as a Certificate of Clinical Competence Support Person and serves as an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) examiner. She currently works at Specsavers, where she continues to apply her expertise in audiology.

Speakers: Mike Joy

Date: Friday 1 November, 5:30 pm

Venue: Greenmeadows East Hall (83 Tait Drive, Taradale)

Admission: Gold coin donation

Presentation slides are available upon request; please contact the secretary of the branch

Civilization is facing “peak everything”—from energy to resources—and climate change is just one symptom of these broader challenges. Here in New Zealand, we are not immune to the effects of these global threats. These issues stem from biophysical realities we’ve long ignored, now manifesting as planetary boundaries we are reaching. These limits to growth were first brought to our attention in the 1970s.

We often take energy for granted, without realizing just how much our modern lives are dominated by fossil fuels. In this talk, Mike Joy will introduce the concept of “energy slaves” and explore how we must adapt to living without them. He will also explain the crucial concept of Energy Returned on Energy Invested (EROI), which is in decline—a development with serious implications for humanity. Mike will discuss the complexities of achieving net zero, the transition away from fossil fuels, and how energy density impacts this shift, while exploring the possibilities for New Zealand’s energy transition.

Mike Joy is a prominent environmental advocate in New Zealand, known for his outspoken efforts to protect the environment. He has received numerous awards, including the Ecology in Action Award from the New Zealand Ecological Society, the Old Blue Award from Forest & Bird, and was named 2009 Environmental New Zealander of the Year by North & South magazine.

In addition to being recognized as Manawatu Evening Standard’s 2012 Person of the Year, Mike received the Tertiary Education Union NZ Award of Excellence for Academic Freedom and Public Education in 2013. He was also honored with the Charles Fleming Award for Environmental Achievement from the Royal Society of New Zealand that same year. In 2015, he was the recipient of the inaugural Morgan Foundation River Voice Award, and in 2017, he received the inaugural NZ Universities Critic and Conscience Award.

Speakers: Professor Parry Guilford and Associate Professor Karyn Paringatai, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka | University of Otago

Date: Tuesday, October 22, 6:00 pm

Venue: Napier Sailing Club, 63 West Quay, Ahuriri, Napier

Admission: Gold coin donation

This event, hosted by the Royal Society Te Apārangi in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes Secretariat and the Hawke’s Bay Branch, will present a unique opportunity to delve into a groundbreaking achievement in stomach cancer genetics.

In May of this year, Professor Parry Guilford and Associate Professor Karyn Paringatai received the Prime Minister’s Science Prize in recognition of their innovative partnership with the McLeod whānau, community members, cancer geneticists from the University of Otago, and clinicians from Tauranga Hospital. Their work led to the identification of a life-threatening genetic mutation in the CDH1 gene, responsible for premature deaths from stomach cancer within the McLeod whānau. Through their research, they developed a genetic test that allows whānau members to assess their cancer risk and take preventive measures. This breakthrough has also been crucial for other families in New Zealand and around the world, helping them to detect similar CDH1 gene mutations and take life-saving actions. As a result, hundreds of lives in Aotearoa New Zealand and thousands worldwide have been saved. This inspiring story of scientific collaboration and community impact continues to make a significant difference.

The event will not be a traditional lecture but rather an engaging interview and discussion. Professor Parry Guilford and Associate Professor Karyn Paringatai will talk about their research and its far-reaching implications. This interactive format will provide an in-depth look at their work and the profound effects it has had on families and communities. The event is open to everyone, and booking is recommended to secure your spot at this insightful discussion.