Volunteers track down kauri threat
VOLUNTEERS are out in force again today across Auckland’s Waita¯kere Ranges in an effort to discourage people from entering the forest.
About 50 people will be stationed at track entrances, educating visitors about the area’s ra¯hui and kauri dieback disease.
Since December 2017 the forest has been under a cultural restriction, or ra¯hui, issued by iwi Te Kawerau a¯ Maki in response to the increasing spread of the disease. Auckland Council has also closed 42 walking tracks.
The event, called "adopta-track", is a combined effort from several environmental groups, including the Tree Council and Forest and Bird.
The Tree Council’s secretary Mels Barton said while the volunteers couldn’t stop people from entering the ranges, they could educate trampers about the ra¯hui.
"Our target audience is the people out there still using the tracks, so this is the best way to reach them and give them the facts," Barton said
They aimed to clear much of the confusion surrounding the ra¯hui as many people did not understand where it applied, where they could and couldn’t go, and how important it was towards protecting the kauri, she said.
"People are confused because the council have left some tracks open, and a lot of people think that by staying on the council’s open tracks they are still respecting the ra¯hui, but they don’t realise it applies to the whole forest."
Te Kawerau a¯ Maki executive manager Edward Ashby said the "adopt-a-track" event was about a community standing up to protect their environment.
"Anything people want to do to protect the ngahere is good with us," Ashby said.
A council study released in August found kauri dieback had spread extensively to nearly a quarter of trees in the Waitakere Ranges.
Auckland Council’s Environment and Community Committee will meet next week to consider taking further action on kauri dieback.