Royal Society Te Apārangi and the Hawke’s Bay Branch are delighted to present the 2024 Rutherford Medal winner in a special public talk. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of New Zealand’s leading researchers – this promises to be a fascinating and thought-provoking evening.
Tales of the Unexpected: Surprising Discoveries that Changed Clinical Practice Join us for an engaging session where Prof. Beasley shares unexpected findings from ten influential research programmes that:
Speaker: Dr. Peter Heenan, Principal Scientist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Date: Tuesday, 23 September 2024 Time: 6:00pm Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale, Napier Free entry – reservation required to secure your seat
Royal Society Te Apārangi, together with the Hawke’s Bay Branch, is delighted to present a talk by Dr Peter Heenan, winner of the 2024 Leonard Cockayne Lecture Award, which commemorates the life and work of Leonard Cockayne, New Zealand’s greatest botanist.
In his decades-long career, Peter has explored and researched New Zealand flora, especially the alpine plants of New Zealand, studying how our native plants have evolved, spread, and adapted to their dramatic mountain landscapes. But recently, his journey has taken a tropical turn – to the small Pacific island of Niue.
In this presentation, Peter will share what he’s discovered so far about Niue’s plants and fungi: how many species there are, what kinds of forests grow there, which plants are unique to the island, and which ones are invasive. He’ll also look at how climate, culture, and conservation all come together to shape the island’s living landscape.
Peter will reflect on how the deep knowledge we’ve built in New Zealand could help support new research in Niue – like protecting rare species, tracking invasive weeds and insects, and understanding the crops and plants important to local people. In Niue, plants and people are closely connected, and both traditional knowledge and modern science are essential for future success.
With fresh insights from visits to other Pacific Islands, Peter will show how Niue – though small – is a powerful example of the challenges and wonders of tropical botany in the Pacific today.
We invite all members to attend our Annual General Meeting, which will be held just before our July public lecture.
A key item on the agenda will be the review and approval of our updated Constitution, in line with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. This is a significant step in maintaining our legal and charitable status, and we need your voice in shaping the way our branch moves forward.
Your feedback and participation are essential. Please take the time to review the proposed changes—details will be shared with members ahead of the meeting.
Let’s keep our branch strong, compliant, and future-ready. We look forward to seeing you there!
Speaker: Dr Saskia de Vilder, Engineering Geologist at GNS Science
Date: Tuesday, 1 July 2025, 6pm
Venue: Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (159 Dalton Street, Napier)
Admission: Gold coin donation
Landslides of all types and sizes occur across Aotearoa New Zealand. As we saw during Cyclone Gabrielle, they can have devastating impacts—causing loss of life, damaging and destroying homes, and isolating communities long after the rain has stopped. To plan effectively, invest wisely, and reduce our landslide risk, we need to know where and when landslides might occur, how large they could be, who or what they might impact, and what the consequences are likely to be. In short, we need national-scale maps of landslide hazard and risk that can support both emergency response and long-term planning.
This talk explores how the Hōretireti Whenua | Sliding Lands research programme is advancing Aotearoa’s ability to understand and reduce landslide risk. The programme aims to transform information about rapid landslide hazards into knowledge about vulnerability and risk—built on an understanding of how people perceive: (1) landslide phenomena, (2) community and individual vulnerability, and (3) model capabilities and outputs.
The presentation will also highlight how data from the record-breaking landslides triggered by Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023 are being used to test and improve these models. By combining end-to-end modelling with integrated hazard, risk, and impact information—and drawing on social science insights—Sliding Lands is working to ensure that when gravity does its worst, we’re better prepared.
Dr. Saskia de Vilder is an Engineering Geologist at GNS Science with expertise in landslide hazard and risk modelling, rock slope failure, and the interface between science and policy. Her research focuses on understanding how and why landslides occur, how far they travel, and the risks they pose to people, infrastructure, and the environment. She led the development of a national natural hazard risk framework for the Department of Conservation, supporting consistent assessment of life-safety risks across public conservation lands. Saskia is also a lead author of the Landslide Planning Guidance, which helps land-use planners incorporate landslide hazard and risk into planning decisions to reduce exposure and build resilience.
Location: T&G Global, Whakatu (access details will be provided to confirmed attendees)
Booking Required via Eventfinda – Limited to 40 People. Bookings will open on 22 April. This is a members-only event. You must be a paid-up RSNZ HB Branch member with membership valid through to March 2026.
Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of T&G’s cutting-edge $100 million apple packhouse in Whakatu, which opened in May 2023. This state-of-the-art facility is nearly fully automated, using advanced technology for apple washing, grading, packing, palletising, and storage. Some apples are even packed by robots – though humans still do it faster!
This is a rare opportunity to see one of New Zealand’s most advanced post-harvest facilities in action.
Visitor Requirements:
Wear hi-viz if you have it (T&G will provide hair and beard nets)
Wear flat, fully enclosed shoes
No jewellery or watches (plain wedding bands without stones are permitted)
No photos allowed – please leave your phone in the car
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.
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.
Photo provided by Quentin Bennett
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.
Photo provided by Quentin Bennett
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: DrBill 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.
