Case Studies

In 1829, London physician Dr Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward conducted a simple experiment when he sealed a plant inside a glass container to see if it would survive. The experiment's success helped change the way plants were transported across the world, transforming gardens, ecosystems, and lives in the process.

Case Studies traces that story by pairing striking contemporary images of cased plants in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom with essays about the deeper implications of plant transfer. It considers not only the scientific and colonial ambitions that drove botanical exchange, but also its consequences: ecological disruption, the spread of invasive species, and the marginalisation of Indigenous knowledge systems.

Case Studies also gives space to other voices — those speaking to matauranga Maori, to tino rangatiratanga over native species, and to the ongoing work of conservation and reclamation. It is not only a record of historical movement, but also a reminder of the values and choices that continue to shape the land beneath our feet.