List of Proposed Speakers for 2025
February
Annual General Meeting
Dr Judith Coulie – The Origins of Safaris
Beginning with European exploration into the interior of southern Africa in the early part of the 19th century, she will talk about amazing adventures as the safari evolved from a hunting spree to a journey of appreciation.
March
Dr Tony Bywater – Feeding over 9 billion people – Global food and resource issues and challenges.
The world population is scheduled to increase from around 7.4 billion people to around 9.6 billion by 2050. Food demand is projected to rise by somewhere between 60% and 110%, but we are running out of fresh water, land available per capita is shrinking. Can we even sustain current levels of food production let alone increase them by 110%? Possibly. Or possibly not!
April
Easter Monday – no meeting
May
Dr Richard Jones – The Importance of Sleep
The talk will give an overview of the basics of sleep, of functions which occur primarily or only during sleep, including the key one – synaptic homeostasis.
Richard will also look at several sleep disorders, but particularly obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) which has become increasingly recognized as a major adverse contributor to our health, including an increased risk of developing and progression of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
June
Dr Reuben Woods – What are we talking about? The Changing Definitions of Urban Art in Otautahi
From illegal graffiti to commercial murals, yarn bombing to urban installation, urban art has become increasingly difficult to define. This talk will explore the spectrum of street art that has occurred across Otautahi to consider how we can explain the divergent motivations, approaches and performances of this ubiquitous, evolving art movement.
July
Dr Angela Curl – Age Friendly Neighbourhoods
Creating age-friendly environments is one of four key action areas for the UN Decade of Health Ageing (2021-2030). Where we live matters for our health, and as we age and spend more time in the local neighbourhood, the relative importance of healthy environments increase. Angela will talk about the role of the built environment in outdoor activity, falls risk and access to healthcare, important for healthy ageing.
August
Dr Amy Scott – Literacy Opportunities in NZ Today
With expertise in early literacy and language development, Dr Scott will discuss how evidence-based approaches, including the shift to structured literacy in NZ, can support young readers. Passionate about practical strategies for success, she focuses on how educators, parents, and communities can create strong literacy foundations for all children. Dr Scott is the Programme Lead of the Better Start Literacy Approach, New Zealand’s primary provider of structured literacy professional development for teachers.
September
Dr Ksenia Zahrai – Do We Control Social Media or Does it Control Us
October
TBC
November
David Hodgson – Extraordinary New Zealanders in WW1 – Harold Gillies
Harold Gillies is widely recognised as the father of modern plastic surgery. The large number of facial injuries cause by WW1 trench warfare provided the opportunity for Gillies to lead the collaborative response that would allow thousands of disfigured men to resume more normal lives once the conflict had ended. What groundbreaking techniques did Gillies perfect? What differentiated Gillies from contemporary surgeons?
December
TBC
