Kauri Konnect18
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Kauri Konnect18 To get a better picture of Northland, Waikato and the Coromandel we’ve taken to the skies to get a bird’s eye view. As well as considering satellite imaging, the team have been investigating the potential for fixed wing aircraft to be used for quick, cost-effective, large-scale surveying followed up with a helicopter for more precise site identification for ground crew visits. This follows the experience Auckland Council has with helicopter surveys in the Waitakere and Hunua ranges. Tony Beauchamp, John Beachman and Andrew McDonald from DOC have undertaken a feasibility study that will further inform the surveillance plan. They flew from Onerahi Airport (Whangarei) and looked at kauri forested lands in south eastern Northland. John navigated (via the pilot), Tony photographed and Andrew took GPS fixes of locations. There are some known kauri dieback areas in this part of Northland that provided a referencing point for the observations. The flight in a Cessna 172M provided excellent Eye in the sky observation of the forests. The known dieback infections Getting a more accurate view on the distribution at Mangawhai (Robert Hastie Reserve), Logue’s Bush of kauri dieback is one of the top priorities of the Scenic Reserve and at the Pakiri Scenic Reserve stood programme. Kauri dieback has been found in the out very starkly. They were able to spot a suspect PASS IT ON. Please spread the word by Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, on private land site in the Mareretu Conservation Area for ground sending this newsletter through your networks party follow-up and to be reasonably confident that via email or print off hardcopies to pass onto throughout the Auckland region, in Department those you meet. of Conservation (DOC) reserves at Okura, Albany, there are no symptomatic sites in Pukekaroro Scenic Reserve, Ruakaka Conservation Area and several other Are you new to KauriKonnect? Email Pakiri, Great Barrier, Trounson Kauri Park and [email protected] to register on the Waipoua Forest in Northland, home of our most significant pieces of kauri forest. Tony is sufficiently database and you’ll never miss a copy. iconic kauri – Tane Mahuta. confident in the precision of some of the photo locations Kauri Konnect August 2011 1 Newsflash1 » The Operations team is working with BECA Infrastructure to develop their TeamView Collaborative software to provide quick and up-to-date maps – either that he is willing to tackle the ground follow-up. The symptoms may actually not be linked to PTA infection by downloading datasets that can be processed by flight confirmed the aerial surveillance plan strategy but be dying due to other causes, and that PTA infection programme partner’s existing GIS software or from BECA of using fixed wing aircraft for initial reconnaissance at may be at sites not yet displaying symptoms that are directly. This will make spatial data on the programme least. obvious from the air – given the length of time it can and PTA more available. Mike Harre is leading this work. The team is mindful that sites displaying dieback take for the disease to develop. » The Ops team is also working on a number of Standard Operating Procedures to guide fieldwork. More information will follow on these shortly... » September 2011 will see Auckland Zoo open its $16 million Te Waio Nui redevelopment that is being done in partnership with the Department of Conservation Grounded and Ngati Whatua o Orakei. It includes experiences of six habitats – the coast, the islands, the wetlands, the Meanwhile, back on the ground, knowledge of dieback symptomology. The second priority will be where the night, the high country and the forest. Auckland Council is working with them to include material on kauri dieback location and the processes that may have influenced PTA sample was “negative” and where trees were in the forest experience. Check the redevelopment out at showing symptomology consistent with PTA. This its spread continues to evolve with results from Soil www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/whats-happening/te-wao- Surveillance 1 being available shortly and plans may involve re-testing or cambial sampling. The third nui.aspx#Zone underway for Surveillance 2, including a dedicated priority is to see if the samples from forests which were negative for both symptomology and soil testing remain study in the Waipoua Forest. » Website banner ads will shortly be available for so when the soil is rested and then re-tested. placement on websites. They provide a click-through to Surveillance 1 took samples from 30 sites in Omahuta, The new site selection criteria include: iconic trees www.kauridieback.co.nz and include the key behaviour Puketi, Russell, Ngongotaha, Waipoua, Coopers, and stands, sites where past science has suggested prompts of keeping to the track and cleaning footwear Taheke, Great Barrier, Coromandel and Paranui to test and equipment. PTA presence, islands lacking large animal (non- for PTA and check on potential vector routes. Results human) vectors, plantations south of the current » The website is getting a makeover to update the of this study will be available shortly. natural distributional range, cannabis planting sites technical content and add more user-friendly features. Surveillance 2 will be a bigger study and includes the and linkages, cattle movement as vectors, historic NZ It’s currently in the design stage. If you have any ideas aerial surveillance above. The first priority will be Forest Service tracks in pristine kauri forest, ecological to make the site bigger, bolder and better and/or if to look at sites where the PTA sample was positive assemblages with kauri, vector and risk pathways you know of organisations that will place banners on their websites for free, please contact Stacey.hill@ in Surveillance 1 but the trees do not show classic and nurseries. The Tangata Whenua Roopu has been aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. The change will also see consulted about inputs into Surveillance 2 and we are symptomology, as these may be new infections kauri dieback being independently hosted, rather than still to decide on their surveillance needs. or sites where we can learn something about the part of the Auckland Council site. Kauri Konnect August 2011 2 Newsflash2 » Recruitment is underway for the programme’s Spreading the word On the trail Relationship Manager who will lead the E&BC team and take responsibility for the stakeholder The National Education & Training Seminar (NETS) for A visitor survey was undertaken by DOC on tracks engagement strategy. Interviews are scheduled for the NZ Biosecurity Institute was held in Takapuna on between Dargaville and Opononi including Waipoua. August. 6-8 July. This conference included field trips, seminars The survey was conducted by DOC with Te Iwi O and workshops on a variety of biosecurity issues that Te Roroa staff and analysed and written by Visitor » Auckland Council is trialling Australian-sourced New Zealand faces. Kauri dieback was well represented Solutions Limited. ‘Phyto-fighter’ cleaning stations that should provide an easier, quicker and more effective with Waitangi Wood providing a cultural perspective Over 1200 visitors completed questionnaires experience for forest users: www.youtube.com/ with “Tangata Whenua and biosecurity: the Kauri which led to some valuable market intelligence on watch?v=-kcWvQ0eGOY&feature=related dieback case study” challenge in the opening plenary. A behaviours. Thirty-eight percent of visitors were New short presentation on Kauri dieback management in the Zealanders, 62% were from overseas – mostly from » Research is currently underway into the public’s Waitakere ranges was provided by Stacey Hill and Alison the UK, Australia, USA, Germany and other European awareness, understanding and response to the Davis, and Nick Waipara ran a field trip in the Cascades countries. Almost all travelled privately (not in a bus). programme messages. It is anticipated these will be relatively moderate at this stage and will take Kauri Park in the Waitakere Ranges. Attendees left Only 14% had visited kauri forests in other areas. with a greater awareness of the issue and firsthand a concerted effort to increase. Insights from this Interestingly, 54% of this group were wearing the same study will inform the ongoing communications experience of what kauri dieback looks like in the field. footwear in the visits across sites, and a third of them plan. Remember that we all have a role to play in We hope they will all go back to their communities and had cleaned their shoes between visits – with no real spreading the word through our professional and ‘spread the word….. not the disease’. difference between New Zealanders and overseas personal networks. visitors. » Waikato Regional Council’s logo will replace Almost 70% commented positively about the site, the previous Environment Waikato logo on material experience and management and only 3% raised some as it is replaced over time. specific item of dissatisfaction. There were a number of insightful comments that will assist the long- » Lynn McIlveen continues with the reestablishment term management of these sites. of the ‘shared workspace’ for programme partner But just to prove you can’t satisfy all of the people, all members. This is an electronic filing system allowing easy access to documents for review and editing. of the time some of the comments were “all I could It bypasses the need to email documents around see were trees”, “(could there be) a bigger tree”, different users with messy track changes. Lynn is “(could there be) a better looking tree” and “(I was) not currently providing log-in details and user guidance able to hug a tree”. for new users – so please ensure you are in on this. The more we use this the better it will be. NETS conference attendees in the frame at Cascades Kauri Park.