Sunday stills: Now and Then : Kauri trees and Kauri dieback

This is a serious post on Kauri dieback.
This is a simulated scenario of a then and now in twenty years. This photo was taken in Australia, so it may not be our giant Kauri tree. I have photos of our kauri but I can't find it.

At the Hillary trail, they have this cleaning stations, but not many people use it. People accuse me of being a moralist and have not fun.  Perhaps I am easily influenced, and I am proud of it, Watching Mad Max stopped me from enjoying burning expensive fuel spotrs, watching No Blade of Grass makes me fear for the future of our earth.

Kauri dieback: a disease that kill the trees.




Kauri dieback: how you can help?  The steps are easy, Just don't be lazy.

This is a tree that is dead, and is host to a fungi, the wood fungus. I saw in the Waitakere. I wanted a dead Kauri tree, but can't find one, so I use this simulated  dead tree, a winter tree.  What would it be when the Kauri dieback kill our Kauri trees?  There is a Chinese saying, " You Cry until there is no more tears."




Kauri are among the world's mightiest trees, growing to more than 50 metres tall, with trunk girths of up to 16 metres and living for more than 2000 years. Kauri forests once covered 1.2 million hectares from the Far North of Northland to Te Kauri, near Kawhia and were common when the first people arrived around 1000 years ago.

http://www.arc.govt.nz/environment/biosecurity/kauri-dieback/

This webpage is the home for information on kauri dieback for the whole of New Zealand. It has information on what kauri dieback is, the symptoms of the disease and how you can help stop it spreading. You can also find our fact sheet, technical documents and links to the organisations involved in the management of the disease.
What is Phytophthora taxon Agathis?

Commonly known as PTA, Phytophthora taxon Agathis is a microscopic fungus-like plant pathogen (a disease causing agent) that only affects kauri. Recent research has identified PTA as a distinct and previously undescribed species of Phytophthora.
What does it do to kauri trees?

Symptoms include yellowing of foliage, loss of leaves, canopy thinning and dead branches. Affected trees can also develop lesions that bleed resin, extending to the major roots and sometimes girdling the trunk as a ‘collar rot'. PTA can kill trees and seedlings of all ages.

Kauri are among the world’s mightiest trees, growing to more than 50 metres tall, with trunk girths of up to 16 metres and living for more than 2000 years. Kauri forests once covered 1.2 million hectares from the Far North of Northlanhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifd to Te Kauri, near Kawhia and were common when the first people arrived around 1000 years ago.

I posted on  Sunday Stills a photo and asked my blogging friends to guess what it is. Many are curious.

Ed guessed right that it is a sterilser. When you enter and exit a place where there are kauri trees, you brush off the soil, and then spray some chemicals to your shoe.

I was going to post this in my Save the world meme when I saw this.

Some people don’t take this seriously, so we had an argument on our way home.

New Zealand takes Bio security very seriously. If you play golf, you have to declare it and clean your shoes very well.

I wish I have photos of the giant kauri to show you. I had been to kauri land, but I can't find the photos.

I was saddened when people don't take this seriously. The council refused permission for a 75km trail and some people say this Kauri dieback is used as a straw man.

Last updated 05:00 12/10/2012

Share

0

SHAUN COLLINS

TRAIL DEFEATED: An outbreak of a tree-killing disease has meant the scrapping of plans for an ultra running event along the Hillary Trail in the Waitakere Ranges.

Plans for an adventure race along the Hillary Trail have been dashed as the Auckland Council tries to send a strong message about kauri dieback disease.

An application by Shaun Collins to hold The Hillary race in April was declined last week because of the risk of spreading the tree-killing disease.

He had hoped to create New Zealand's newest ultra-running event along the 75km trail through the Waitakere Ranges.

The decision to reject the application comes after council officers were asked to prepare a report about the impact the event would have on the environment.

The proposed race would have 500 runners tackling various lengths of the trail. All participants would have needed to run through monitored footwear cleaning stations along the way to prevent them spreading dieback. 

A council survey of people using the walking tracks shows the use of cleaning stations is generally poor with 20 to 50 per cent compliance. The report suggested that entrants could "set the behaviour standards that we wish the general public to emulate''.  

But council acting manager of regional and specialist parks Richard Hollier said the race cannot go ahead, although the trail remains open to the public.

''While precautionary measures like shoe cleaning and phytosanitary mats would reduce the risk of spreading kauri dieback, the council should not be promoting organised events and activities in areas infected with the disease at this time.

''This decision is very much about kauri protection and sending a strong message to park users that we are taking kauri health seriously,'' he said.

The Hillary Trail is still promoted in the section on walking tracks on the council website as a track for Aucklanders to ''get out and enjoy''.

There is no mention about kauri dieback disease or prevention measures.

Council communications manager Glyn Walters said the website is being updated, including the Hillary Trail content. 

"The Hillary Trail is made up of a network of tracks and each track on the council's website that forms part of the Hillary Trail has information about kauri protection zones or a link to kauri dieback biosecurity information."

Collins said the council's message on dieback are not clear when the trail is still open for casual visitors and walking groups.

''On the weekend there were bus loads of them and tramping groups are still visiting. That's why the logic used doesn't make sense, it's not consistent.''

There are several events scheduled in the Waitakere Ranges this summer and Walters said none have been cancelled as yet.Walters said the trail's network of tracks and junctions would make closure logistically challenging. He said areas that appear to be unaffected by kauri dieback have been closed to the public, creating protection zones.

''Officers are reviewing all event applications that have been received and events that have already been permitted and will be speaking with organisers in the coming weeks.''

Two councillors who learned of the declined application raised the issue at the Parks, Recreation and Heritage Forum on Wednesday.

Councillor Dick Quax said the forum should have ruled on the application, which should have been approved.

''If I was to get a group of mates together to run the length of the Hillary, presumably there'd be nothing to stop me. 

''Kauri dieback disease is being used as a straw man - an excuse.''

Quax wants the full report of the officers' findings and is pursuing the issue.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/7803630/Race-stopped-in-its-tracks

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/