Fiery loss of regenerating forest mourned
I HAVE to take issue with your reporter Tracey Roxburgh and probably with the Rural Fire Service before her, for the description of the vegetation burnt in the catastrophic fire near Queenstown as ‘‘native scrub’’ (ODT, 12.1.17).
Scrub is defined in the Oxford Compact English Dictionary as ‘‘vegetation consisting mainly of brushwood or stunted forest growth’’.
The term is used in rural New Zealand in an almost pejorative sense, usually to describe vegetation which is not useful or, generally, considered attractive (gorse, broom, matagouri, bracken fern).
The vegetation in this area, far from being any of these, was an area of naturally regenerating indigenous forest.
This area of forest has been regenerating in this vicinity for well over the 20 years during which I have been observing its rich tapestry of species growing and spreading.
Its loss will diminish our biodiversity as we have lost
150ha of habitat for birds, bats and invertebrates. Its value to the landscape is noted in Ms Roxburgh’s second article on the fire (page 3) where she quotes her friend describing the drive through this area as ‘‘insanely beautiful’’, in part for the ‘‘lush greenery’’ lining the road. This part of this drive will now not be ‘‘insanely beautiful’’ for another 30 years or so.
The very least we need to do in mourning what we have lost is to name it appropriately.
Marion Read
Outram [Tracey Roxburgh replies: ‘‘The term ‘native scrub’ was used by
Jamie Cowan, Otago Rural Fire Authority deputy principal rural fire officer, of Queenstown, during a media conference.]
BIBLE READING: I will sing the mercies of the Lord forever. — Psalms 89.1.