Our February speaker will be Dr Mike Johnston, geologist, talking about the Nelson Mineral Belt.
Tea and coffee will be available before the meeting.
More information about the Nelson Mineral Belt, from Dun Mountain - Nelson City Council:
Deep within the earth, 280 million years ago, molten hot lava oozed its way into the overlying continental crust of Gondwana, creating the conditions to form this unique environment. Commonly called the Nelson Mineral Belt, it extends from D’Urville Island in the north to the Red Hills in the south.
The rocks and soils of the Mineral Belt are high in iron, magnesium, cobalt and nickel. Many native plants and animals usually found living at this altitude will not survive here. However, over millions of years, plant and animal communities have adapted to survive in the toxic, low fertility soils and harsh climate of this unique place, communities that can’t be found naturally thriving anywhere else in the world. This unique environment is under threat; if we lose it, it will be gone forever.