Kauri rescue to be launched in Northland

The aim of the project is to offer to land owners and community options to control the kauri dieback disease.

The Kauri Rescue team will host the project's launch in Northland at Whangarei's Toll Stadium on Tuesday, October 3 (6pm).

Land owners wanting to join the project, and treat ailing kauri trees, can do so at www.kaurirescue.org.nz, or by signing up at the launch.

The project team, comprising scientists, social scientists, iwi and community groups, which has two years' funding from the government's Biological Heritage National Science Challenge (www.biologicalheritage.nz), says Kauri Rescue, otherwise known as Community Control of Kauri Dieback: Tiaki Kauri, seeks to engage the public in refining a new citizen science tool for the treatment of kauri dieback disease, which continues to decimate kauri forests in northern New Zealand.

Those who attend the launch will hear how the disease is killing kauri, the promising results of research to date using phosphite as a treatment, and the project's social science and mātauranga Māori elements.

Anyone who suspects they have kauri dieback but has not yet had it confirmed is advised to contact Kauri Rescue and book in for free soil testing, which will be provided by Northland Regional Council biosecurity staff, to confirm the presence or absence of the disease.

They will then be able to join the project, and will receive a kit to enable them to treat their own trees. Anyone who already has had kauri dieback confirmed on their property can join, and should contact the team immediately.

Landowners will work alongside scientists to treat their own trees with the chemical phosphite, which is described as showing great promise in trials.

The project also encourages land owners to test other treatment techniques, encouraging both Western science and mātauranga Māori methods.

One of the requirements of land owners joining the project is that they agree to rigorously collect monitoring results and data on all treatments so that their efficacy can be determined.

The aim of the project is to offer to land owners and community options to control the kauri dieback disease.

Project team leader Dr Ian Horner (Plant & Food Research) said he was delighted to have the opportunity to take his research to the next level, and engage the public in actively developing treatment methods.

"We hope people will find this opportunity empowering, and a positive step forward in the fight against kauri dieback disease," he said.

Working together to develop and test these methods, and feeding results into a wider research pool, will accelerate development of robust methods. Thus in the near future we could have effective treatments that the public can apply themselves and support others in their community to treat their own trees."

The team emphasised that phosphite and other treatment techniques were not a cure for kauri dieback, however. Nor did they immunise trees against future re-infection. The most important message was that the continued spread of the disease must be stopped by diligently applying hygiene protocols.

"There is hope that by developing these treatment methods we can save individual trees and keep them alive, but we all need to work together to stop the spread of the disease if we are to save kauri as a species," Dr Horner said.

"Scrubbing and spraying our footwear, staying on the track, keeping dogs on a lead and respecting closed tracks are essential measures if we are to save our kauri from this terrible disease. Kauri dieback is like AIDS for plants - we can't cure it, but we can stop its spread by being scrupulously hygienic and changing our behaviour.

"Educating others about how important this behaviour is something we can all do to help".

Kauri Rescue was also looking for more ambassadors from the community to join the team, support others and help spread the word about the project.

Anyone who was interested should be at the launch or go to the website.