Kauri health survey Waitākere Ranges
A new kauri monitoring programme has been launched in the Waitakere Ranges.
Auckland Council workers are surveying healthy trees as part of their study into kauri dieback disease.
They are investigating the impacts of the disease on individual trees and the wider kauri population.
Auckland Council kauri dieback team manager Lisa Tolich said new remote sensing technology had given the council a good estimate of how many kauri trees spanned the ranges.
The team had drawn a sample of trees to survey.
“We are giving 3500 kauri in the Waitākere Ranges a full health check and will continue monitoring these specific trees for years to come,” Tolich said.
“The trees have been randomly selected from the overall population so field teams don’t know going in whether they’ll be assessing healthy or diseased trees.
“This is important because it means we can build a picture of what’s happening across the entire population – not just the areas where we know the pathogen is already present.”
Data collected will identify risks to tree health associated with the locations, environment and other factors such as changing climate.
Survey findings will help the council assess how well precautionary measures are working and if any adjustments are needed.
Funding for the monitoring programme comes from the Natural Environment Targeted Rate at an expected cost of between $650,000 and $700,000.
This includes the design and delivery of the Waitākere Ranges Surveillance programme between 2020-2022.
Environment and Climate Change Committee chair Richard Hills said the investment was another step towards helping protect and preserve kauri forests.
“Kauri dieback disease is unfortunately not going away and the more we can find out about the disease, through robust processes like our surveillance and monitoring programmes, the better placed we are to protect our native taonga now and for generations to come.”
Poll: Is it ok to regift something that you have been given?
🎁 Holiday Gift Chat!
Do you ever regift?
What’s your take on asking for a receipt if a gift doesn’t fit?
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78.3% Yes! It's better to regift what I don't need
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21.7% No. It's the thought and effort that matters
Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
The gift of giving …?
The author of “The Gift of the Magi” is O. Henry, a pseudonym for William Sydney Porter.
“The Gift of the Magi” is a poignant short story about a young couple, Jim and Della, who are deeply in love but financially struggling. With Christmas approaching and limited money, each decides to sacrifice their most prized possession to buy a meaningful gift for the other. Della sells her beautiful long hair to buy a platinum chain for Jim’s watch, while Jim sells his grandfather’s watch to buy a set of combs for Della’s hair. In the end, their love and sacrifice underscore the true spirit of giving during the holiday season.
🤔
I would say the story underscores the stupidity of Xmas gifts … after all, it is not YOUR birthday, so how about donating something to good causes and otherwise enjoying being together?
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