Moa’s Ark Research Principal Ecologist Dr Debra Wotton recently discovered seedlings of the Critically Endangered Castle Hill buttercup, seen for the first time in nearly half a century.


Moa’s Ark Research Principal Ecologist Dr Debra Wotton recently discovered seedlings of the Critically Endangered Castle Hill buttercup, seen for the first time in nearly half a century.

Recent research shows that native plant regeneration under wilding contorta pine (Pinus contorta) forest is limited mainly by the availability of native seeds.

Seedlings of the nationally endangered Armstrong’s whipcord hebe were recently discovered for the first time at Enys Scientific Reserve in Canterbury by Moa’s Ark Research ecologist Dr Debra Wotton and Department of Conservation botanist Nick Head.

We are investigating whether habitat restoration could be used to promote regeneration of the critically endangered dry plains shrub daisy, instead of spraying herbicide.