Hands on for diversity

Our planting week in June this year involved over 200 students from Mercury Bay Area School’s year 7 and 8 students along with teachers and parents planting kauri, manuka and tanekaha at Matarangi reserve. Over three days, six classes skilfully scaled the bluff of the eastern reserve with spades and fertiliser tablets in hand. Cleaning boots was compulsory as part of our ongoing drive to educate the next generation about preventing the spread of kauri dieback. The students did a great job of planting and we have had some good rain in the area to help give these trees the best start. Link for each class session video with integrative map is HERE

Coromandel Planting Update

The Spirit of Coromandel Trust update: The most positive thing to happen for Coromandel Peninsula in this COVID world thus far has been kauri planting, Congrats to Kauri 2000 for making this project happen for the last 20 years – what a fantastic achievement. It’s a pleasure being part of this. The Spirit of Coromandel trust is responsible for planting Kauri in Coromandel. Our well-oiled team of supporters and volunteers look forward to being part of the whole process. Our release lines are cut by a local contractor Neil Blythe, and pine trees are felled by another local contractor Dickie Berghan. The holes for the trees are dug by the PD workers who then place the trees ready for planting beside the holes. Our planting will usually spread over 2 days, as we prefer to work with only 6-7 workers planting each day. We start our day with a Karakia, shoe and equipment cleaning, followed by a planting demonstration. 2021 planting is on DOC property, which is part of the Waitangi Settlement, and will eventually go back to Patukirikiri Iwi. Our planting site is locally known as Jacks Point, overlooking our wharf and the harbour . In time, this will generate a wonderful backdrop for those entering the harbour as well as those arriving by vehicle to Coromandel. Also 300 have been planted on our Great Kauri Run trail. We have currently planted 19 km along a 32 km course - our vision is to create an avenue of Kauri Trees along the entire 32 km. We are currently planting on the White Star station in Colville, and we will be there for a few more years yet.

20 years on in Hahei…

Off the well known track to Cathedral Cove is one of our original kauri planting sites. This new track wanders through the kauri, thriving and sheltered by the pines to a pretty stunning lookout perched high on the cliffs with fantastic views over the ocean. Well worth the detour.

Matarangi growth

This spring weather has been ideal for growing healthy young kauri trees. This one was planted in 2007 in Matarangi reserve.

Kauri seedlings can be green or red-bronze in colour before growing into evergreen cone-shaped saplings. Saplings drop their lower branches as they grow into young kauri trees or ‘rickers’ (30-100 years old). Rickers are thin with long pole-like trunks and cone-shaped crowns.

Mature kauri (100+ years) grow up and out. Adult kauri tower above the forest canopy with wide spreading crowns supported by huge branchless trunks. Most kauri will live between 600 and 1200 years, but some can live up to 2000 years or more!

Photo: Jill Kaeppeli

On June 11, BNZ Capital Markets team made their annual pilgrimage to the Coromandel for a great day’s planting at the Matarangi reserve. Afterwards we enjoyed a BBQ get together after an energetic walk through the Rings Beach Wetland track to enjoy a vista of the area, which includes kauri planted by BNZ in previous years. This area is developed and managed with help from the Rings Beach Wetland Group. Created almost entirely with volunteer labour by the founding members of the Rings Beach Wetland Group in 2006, this project has now become a conservation success story on the Coromandel Peninsula, with some of the original flora and fauna in the reserve such as kiwi, fernbirds, kauri, white maire and maire taiki once again beginning to flourish.

RIngs Beach Wetland group website

From our Chairperson, Alison Henry

The resignation of one of our founding trustees, Vivienne McLean QSM is received with sadness and recognition of all she has achieved for Kauri 2000. Viv’s knowledge, determination and organisational abilities have been key to the trust’s success for over twenty years.

For the second year running we were restricted by COVID and unable to hold a public planting day. However, the Mercury Bay Area School’s years 7 and 8 students were our heroes at the Matarangi Reserve where a large area has been cleared of pine trees. Thanks to their hard work and lots of enthusiastic chatter there are now nearly 400 kauri growing on these hillsides complimented by tanekaha and manuka as companion plants. Another 50 kauri were planted in the same area by a team from our main sponsor, BNZ Capital Markets. A short trip to one of the BNZ’s original sites showed newcomers to the group the results of BNZ’s planting efforts over the last ten years. They were impressed! At Coromandel where more pine trees have been felled another 600 trees are in the ground thanks to Keith Stephenson and his volunteers.

Our new coordinator Rose Morcom has brought lots of energy to our small group and her organisational ability and drive to get things done is hugely appreciated. John Jenkison, our legal advisor and go-to person died recently and we pay a fond tribute to him as we recognise all he did for us over our twenty years.

The Trust receives loyal and generous support from many quarters which is truly appreciated and makes sure that we see kauri standing on the slopes of the Coromandel Peninsula once more. Alison Henry, Chairperson

Kauri Dieback

Kauri dieback is an ever present threat for our majestic kauri in New Zealand. Here on the Coromandel we have had limited identified trees affected, and efforts are continually underway to minimise the spread of the disease with education, procedures for keeping footwear clean, and maintaining tracks so that transmission through contaminated soil is minimised. This can be achieved through diverting tracks around the base of kauri or the construction of boardwalks to keep the human traffic above board, so to speak. Experts still are unsure of the origins of kauri dieback, and so far there is no cure. Like COVID19, there are best practices for minimising the spread to protect the giants of the forest, which have been here longer than we have. There is no vaccine for our kauri! Keep your footwear clean this summer. Entrances to many tracks will have a cleaning station . Brush your shoes well of any loose dirt, and spray your footwear with the special solution provided. It won’t harm you or the environment, but will help protect our beautiful kauri forests.

With the initiatives between DOC and Iwi, new positions are being created to coordinate and implement ongoing kauri dieback protection measures in the Coromandel peninsula.

Over the Summer, and with funding from MPI, Kauri 2000 and the Coromandel Kauri dieback forum ran a media advertising awareness campaign to target the visitors to the Coromandel. Coromandel Adventure tours also offered free guided walks to help hikers become aware of kauri dieback while enjoying the scenic outdoors that we take for granted.

Pub Charity support

We again acknowledge the support of pub charity, through Smittys Bar and Grill, Whitianga for funding the cost of the coordinator’s work for the trust.

BNZ Markets

The BNZ is planting 100 kauri seedlings for every Kauri Bond issue it arranges as well as contributing to their ongoing maintenance. BNZ staff are enthusiastic about the sponsorship and join us in planting the seedlings.

LGFA

In 2021 the New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) made a donation to Kauri 2000 to offset carbon for air miles travelled by staff. Staff also assisted with planting at Matarangi

Vivienne McLean, QSM

After 20 years of service to the Kauri 2000 trust, Vivienne has retired as one of our trustees. Viv has been instrumental with the ongoing success of Kauri 2000, and since raising the trust alongside founder Cliff Heraud, her communication skills and governance will be missed! Viv and her husband Percy have moved to Whanganui and are enjoying spending more time with family. Vivienne received her QSM in 2008 for services to conservation (pictured left).

If you would like to help the work of the Kauri 2000 Trust you can: