STLP goes South

While our class time was full and rigorous, there were still opportunities to network while enjoying some of Dunedin's pleasures.

I arrived early for the course and took the opportunity to visit the Albatross Centre.  It was an ideal
time as fledglings were still in their nests with young adults gliding above, and parents looking to land. 

We visited Orokonui Ecosanctuary as a group - we split our time between observing
the wild life outside and reflecting on our personality profiles inside!

The bird life was amazing - it was fantastic to see native birds close up .

It was a delight to stroll through the iconic university grounds each day.

We were driven to and from the airport in absolute style.

Leadership PD

The STLP2018a team had an intensive five day leadership course, based at the University of Otago.  The focus was on transformative leadership whereby you lead, motivate and facilitate others to embark on science teaching, which is guided by you but owned by all.  

A major part of the PD was finding out your own leadership style and working with it to the best advantage: identifying and utilising your strengths; identifying areas which need work and practising ways to improve them.  To provide base line data, we asked people who work with us to complete an observers questionnaire, which we also completed ourselves, so we could compare our personal assessment with those of others.

Questions in the observer survey

Sample questions in the personality survey

Hard at work - thoughtful presentations and interactive workshops

Monitoring meetings

Jenn and Janine arranged to meet each of the teacher participants for a series of monitoring meetings: with the host at the host company, by themselves off-site and with their principal at their school. 

Janine visited Manaaki Whenua on 14 March to discuss my progress in phase 1 with Megan, followed by a tour of the facilities.  Janine and I discussed my goals over a very pleasant lunch at Columbus, followed by a meeting at Cockle Bay.  Our principal, Dorothy, deputy principal, Paul, and science curriculum leader, Gillian were also present. All the meetings were fruitful.   The school meeting considered the current science development plan and how my phase 2 initiatives will connect with Gillian's.  There was discussion about the STLP planning meeting at the end of phase 1 and the pros and cons of different data collecting to monitor both our teacher and student science engagement. 

My meeting withe Janine narrrowed my focus to concentrating more strongly on phase 1: taking advantages of opportunities to observe best science practice in schools, working independently ata suffciently high level to be a real benefit to projects; and establishing a candid working relationship with the sensior leadershp team to ensure phase 2 is implemented effectively.

Discussion document for the school meeting

Discussion document for goal setting with Janine.

Kauri die-back project

After our induction by Megan, Maj gave us our instructions to start the next part of the kauri die-back project.  We grew a lawn of Phytophora agathidicida and then plated it so that there were nine plates of 17027QU Q261 and seven of 20274QU Q261 (The permit number Q261 must always be displayed) .  

We also grew three other fungal cultures to cover the plates: Trichoderma (green),  Illyonectria (orange) and Fortini (green/black).

Then we took a small plug of each of the fungi, and placed it PTA, at the edge of the petri dish, and measured the growth for a week.  We marked the outer edge of growth with a thin marker pen each day to monitor growth for nine days.

Illyonectira

Fortini grew very slowly.

Trichoderma grew the fastest, and outgrew the agathidicada.

Containment policy

There is a strict, enforced containment policy around restricted and unwanted micro-organisms.  The capital letter "Q" means restricted (under permit), while "U' means unwanted.  There are three containment facilities at Auckland with different degrees of containment.  Containment 2, Newhook Laboratory, is the most restricted, and all work on restricted and unwanted micro-organims must be conducted there.

As part of the kauri die back project, it is necessary to work with the pathogen, Phytopathora agathidicida (PTA). It has been identified as a casual agent in attacking New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis), but scientists do not know exactly how it is attacking.  Kauri die back disease causes a yellowing, thinning canopy and sudden canopy collapse.  The kauri die-back project is looking at the potential for a biochemical control of  the disease.

The pathogen must be contained very strictly, as noted in the Containment policy document.  As Isabel and I are working with this fungi, it was necessary for Megan to give us an induction on all aspects of containment and for us to study for and sit a written test.  We needed to achieve a pass rate of 80% to be able to work with on the project.  We must always work in PC2 under the ultra-violet hood; the specimen must not be removed from PC2, and all associated waste must be put in a specific waste container, and then auto-claved and then incinerated.  

Phytopathora agathidicida was given the permit number Q261, and the hard copy permit
was kept in the permit folder alongside the containment facility manual.

The agathidicida sample is kept under very strict conditions and must
stay in the PC2 facility at all times, as per the permit instructions.

Fungi collection

It was with pleasure that I spent an afternoon assisting Jessica to rationalise part of the fungi collection, for which she is responsible.  One of my tasks was to check fungi catalogued samples off a printed database sent from Lincoln.  It was interesting to see the change in the way information was recorded on the archive envelopes which hold the specimens: from rounded economical pen strokes, to extravagant flourished script, to the plink plink typeset of a portable Remmington, to the no-nonsense ballpoint and finally the crisp typeset of today.  It was like observing the passage of decades of time in a single afternoon.

Penicillium cultures

Manaaki Whenua has many several customers who order cultures for making into fertiliser, to spray on grass feed that will provide extra nutriment for grazing stock.  I helped Rose, our lab technician,  to make plate 500 cultures of penicillium for one order.

The lawn of penicillium used for making subcultures. (I am rather fond of
the use of 'lawn' as a scientific term - it seems so apt and descriptive)

Order packaged and ready to go.

Rose is a fountain of knowledge and day to day advice in the lab.  I'm very grateful
to her for her patience and tact at my zero knowledge (and growing) base.

NZ insects displays

The next insect display case and information guide is underway under the guidance of Sarah T, as before.  This one has a theme - the largest, heaviest, noisiest, stinkiest native insect - and is designed to capture the interest of school aged children, rather than being a definitive scientific record.  It is a slow process drafting and modifying both the sample insects, their images and associated information, but I find it very enjoyable.  Compiling succinct information about each specimen is proving a great way to learn about insects.   It is a delight to work in the Arthropod Collection and on a project that is likely to be a gateway into science for some children.

Work in progress - New Zealand native insect information sheets.

Some of the specimens I have the pleasure of working with.

CEO presentation

The CEO of Manaaki Whenua, Richard Gordon,  is currently conducting a road show of all the facilities around the country.  All staff were invited to his presentation in Auckland which was very well attended.

Richard reiterated company goals and values, talking at length about changes and nuances to the core messages over the past year in response to government imperatives and other factors.  He then asked for questions and feedback from staff, many of whom were particularly interested in the building programme at Lincoln and the move to an open plan environment.

Waiata lunches

Every Wednesday lunchtime, staff are cordially invited by Jessica, an interested member of staff, to come to one of the informal lounges to sing some waiata from the Landcare songbook.  This was given a bit more emphasis by some people prior to a visit by Holden H, the GM Maori in charge with cultural awareness, as we practised the specific waiata he would be presenting at his PR meeting for the Auckland regional office.  Holden spoke about many pertinent bicultural issues, including the company's obligation to work together with Maori on conservation for future generations.  One interesting question was, what can we do with non-arable, steep marginal land which is coming out of forestry?  What will succeed in this environment which represents approximately 75% of Maori land?  One idea Holden put forward was green tea production, but noted that considerable infrastructure would be needed.

In addition to visiting regional centres from time to time, Holden also oversees an online bicultural toolbox which includes: waiata; karakia; Maori culture and customs - guides to speech making and meetings on marae; Te Reo Maori - conversational guides, basic pronunciation.

Music is provided by guitar or video

This waiata is especially suited to Manaaki Whenua as it speaks of people looking after our native plants and birds

Kauri root cultures

After I had thoroughly washed and sterilised the kauri roots, I plated some tiny samples of kauri root under the guidance of Isabel, a graduate student working at Landcare in the summer holidays.

After every fifth plate, a sample was taken but put to one side and labelled with a 'V' to denote it as a control, to check the sterilisation process.  I was very pleased to see that there had been no growth on these plates after days of incubation time, demonstrating that my cleaning and sterilisation process was robust and thorough.

One of the control plates