Young Horticulturists of the Year Bursary Reports

Winners of the IoH Young Horticulturist of the Year competition receive The Percy Thrower Bursary for travel. The 2002 winner Rocky Coles has decided to spend up to a year in New Zealand and sends this interim report on how he is using the Bursary which is contributing towards his costs.

He writes:

I arrived in New Zealand in January 2004. I am having a wonderful time here in Aotearoa (New Zealand). For several weeks I was working for the department of conservation as a volunteer in the Bay of Islands. This involved killing many weeds including Agapanthus africanus and Pinus radiata to name a few. Here I learnt how introduced garden plants can cause big problems to the native plants and the ecosystem.

During my time so far in the north island I have done many walks looking at the plant species growing such as the Tongariro crossing where very little grows. Mainly Carex and a few alpines. In Rotorua and Taupo, I have witnessed how plants survive in the steeming mudpools where the soil is very acidic. I am currently on the South Island, where I hope to visit some more Botanic gardens and head to the Catlans, where plants have adapted to the extremes.

I am currently looking for some paid employment to keep myself going. This should be in Wanaka or Queenstown for a couple on months.

I am also trying to arrange a visit to New Zealand's herbarium in Te Papa, the Museum in Wellington, where collections of plants discovered by Robert Banks are held.