Part of a hope-based network
restoring and enjoying the Mahurangi

Editor Cimino Cole

Cimino 24 November 2009

From the Editor’s Desk: This particular tüï, pampered with persimmon by the editor’s partner, may not personally be enthusiastic about being mobilised for the open-ground harakeke initiative. Photographer Cimino Cole

A tüï sings heartily from his harakeke perch.

The harakeke stands on steep, grazed hillside.

Tüï and open-ground harakeke: The elegantly simple symbol of an elegantly simple strategy, towards the goal of establishing a million hectares of sustainable indigenous forest.

The concept is to use the tüï as the silver-tongued salesman for a silver-bullet solution: Produce harakeke plants cheaply and in vast numbers—open-ground in large-scale, forestry-style nurseries—as a filler or nurse crop.

Most will assume that open-ground simply refers the establishment of indigenous forest on open ground. No matter it also refers to the nursery method—the whole approach is designed to insulate the audience from any underlying complexities.

The cost of plants, and the cost of establishing those plants, is the main barrier to large-scale indigenous forestry.

By producing harakeke as efficiently as radiata pine seedlings and planting in high ratio to target species, the average cost per plant is driven down.

By establishing high densities of large harakeke, weeds never threaten the plantings, even if they receive no further maintenance—this is all too often the case, sometimes resulting in total failure of the planting to establish.

Biodiversity immediately benefits—as burgeoning populations of tüï deposit (mostly indigenous) seed below their favourite perch: Harakeke.

While it is simplicity itself, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Harakeke as a filler or nurse crop could form a valuable component of most establishment regimes. But even if it played no direct part in a specific project, the open-ground harakeke initiative would help float all indigenous forestry boats.

The passion for indigenous forestry, of course, is only partly about sustainable timber production. For most, if not all, it is the certainty that a flood of indigenous forestry will also help float the indigenous restoration boats, which struggle to avoid stranding in a fiscally drained landscape.

Eye-Watering: Although a sight for conference-sore eyes, this trial area, of indigenous forestry and restoration planting, at the Whatawhata Hill Country Research Station proved to be uneconomically expensive to establish. Photographer Michael Bergin

The open-ground harakeke concept emerged over a few beers in the middle of an indigenous forestry conference, last week.

It might have emerged half an hour earlier, but for the delay in getting The Buttery bar open.

Or even a couple of hours earlier—during the plenary session that marked the end of the indoor half of the conference, and the beginning of two days of field trips.

But epiphany can seldom be summoned by conference schedules.

The gnawing sense of having failed to nail a national strategy game changer had become excruciating, until the draught belatedly broke with the restocking of the bar, at the University of Waikato’s Bryant Hall.

Täne’s Tree Trust, the principal conference organiser, is very big on field trips. A high percentage of its members are farmers—many of whom are also members of the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association—who have field days in their blood.

A case could be made for scheduling the field trips ahead of the talkfest. Or maybe book-ending the indoors with the outdoors.

The two field days underlined two recurring conference themes:

• 1 The too-high cost of indigenous forestry establishment
• 2 The need for good, accessible indigenous forestry demonstration sites.

The Mahurangi is already punching above its weight in both respects, but additional exciting possibilities abound, including demonstration sites alongside State Highway One.

But, in addition to re-starting the open-ground production of indigenous species, Mahurangi could help launch the open-ground harakeke initiative…

That would be an indigenous forestry game changer.


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Part of a hope-based network restoring and enjoying the Mahurangi
 Editor Cimino Cole