Tuesday 14 September 2021
Seeing the wood and the trees Chris Valli The forestry industry is in good hands. A Marlborough man nominated by his colleagues for a top national award has been named as New Zealand Forester of the Year. The New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) has recognised Paul Millen in its 2021 awards, held in Wairarapa recently. NZIF Forester of the Year is a highly coveted prize, which rewards a person for their outstanding contribution to the forestry sector throughout the year. The nomination certainly came as a surprise to the 62-year-old who says it is a real privilege to be recognised in this way. “The award was unexpected. It is certainly a privilege to be recognised by the institute and to be recognised by my peers. In some ways, it is an indication that the institution is diversifying New Zealand forestry which is great to see.” Paul studied through the University of Canterbury’s School of Forestry (Kura Ngahere) and graduated in 1980. The University of Canterbury is the only university in New Zealand to offer professional forestry degree programmes, including undergraduate programmes run through the School of Forestry and the College of Engineering. It was here that Paul attained scientific knowledge, drive and passion for all things trees which
Paul Millen receives the NZIF Forester of the Year from Minister Stuart Nash. Photo: Supplied. opened many doors for him over the years, he says. His skillset has allowed him to work on numerous projects and with a diverse range of people from professional foresters to tree enthusiasts. The award is testimony to the high standard of research work Paul has done into eucalyptus. He established trials in various parts of the country, initially to develop durable untreated posts for and
around Marlborough’s vineyards. In 2004, Paul then teamed up with his former Canterbury University School of Forestry friend Shaf van Ballekom, CEO at Proseed, owned by Ngāi Tahu, the largest forest seed producer in Australasia. They linked to the School of Forestry to establish the New Zealand Dryland Forests Initiative (NZDFI) which is a eucalypt tree improvement and forest research
programme with wood quality a major component. NZDF has attracted internationally renowned researchers. Paul has been involved in the Marlborough community since arriving in the 1980s, working in various roles for the local authority and environmental and community projects. These included a major role in developing the Wither Hills Farm Park as a working farm and public recrea-
tion area for the Marlborough District Council. Such involvement he says has been a real pleasure and he is thankful for the opportunities that have come his way. “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to have been involved in the Wither Hills Farm Park (when he was in his 20s) and the work with local government. “People have benefited greatly from the trees that have been planted. Trees and forests have a wide range of benefits for the whole community.” Paul says one of the great connections and work he has been involved with in recent years has been with the Marlborough Significant Natural Areas Project. The project involves Marlborough District Council collecting information about natural areas on private land, with the aim of working in partnership with landowners to help protect these areas. “I still have a lot of enjoyment with the Marlborough Significant Natural Area Project (underway since 2000) - working with private landowners who have areas of native forests, and restoration planting.” The Marlborough Significant Natural Areas Project involves three main types of work: Carrying out an ecological survey of areas on private properties to identify the sites and issues. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2