Your favourite walk could win a free subscription We are looking for readers’ favourite walks. Many of us go out regularly walking on a route which we class as our favourite, for a number of reasons. Perhaps because for it’s scenery, it’s safe, it’s challenging, it’s flat, it’s hilly, it’s varied, or for whatever reason. We would like you to tell us in your own words what is you favourite walk and why. Email us a story from say 250 up to 1200 words including a photo or photos. We will now give you a FREE subscription (six months or more, depending on the article), or extension to Walking New Zealand magazine for walks published. You can also post an article to Walking New Zealand, Freepost 78863, P O Box 1922, Palmerston North, or fax 06-358-6864. If sending a photo by email please make sure photo is in high resolution one. (ie taken with a 4.0 mega pixel camera in high resolution mode. Our email address is:
walkingnz@xtra.co.nz. Please put “My Favourite Walk” in the subject line.
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Walking New Zealand, issue no 170 - 2012
Above left and above right: The bleeding gum showing the affects of Kauri dieback.
Clean shoes can help save the Kauri
P
ests like possums are easy to see and their effects on our native forest can be devastating. However there are also threats to forest ecosystems not as obvious or infamous as possums but with just as big an impact, including plant diseases spread by soil movement. One of these is Kauri dieback disease which is killing trees in Auckland and Northland and anyone enjoying the outdoors can help stop it spreading. Kauri dieback is a soil-borne disease, spread by spores in the soil that attack the tree through its roots. Symptoms include bleeding lesions at the base of the tree, yellowing leaves, thinning canopy and dead branches. “Any movement of soil can spread the disease, including soil on dirty shoes or mountain bike tyres,” says Dr Nick Waipara of Auckland Council Biosecurity. “This means everyone visiting a Kauri for-
By the Kauri Dieback team, Auckland Council
est should arrive with clean footwear and equipment and clean this again when they leave. “Many public parks and reserves with Kauri have cleaning stations for visitors to use, but you can also simply clean your shoes at home, making sure you scrub them free of all soil as the spores can live for up to three years. “Much like the Check Clean Dry message for didymo and freshwater pests, good hygiene is the most important weapon we have against Kauri dieback while we await research results into treatment,” says Dr Waipara. “We need to stop the disease spreading and protect the areas that are still healthy.” Kauri dieback disease is not the only threat out there either. Many weeds and other plant and animal diseases are spread easily by people on dirty shoes and equipment. By keeping all our gear clean, it will help stop the spread of all of these pests. “If cleaning shoes and gear becomes part of a routine for anyone going out to enjoy nature it will make a huge difference,” says Dr Waipara. “If everyone plays a part, the very outdoor environment we enjoy now will stay healthy for future generations to enjoy as well.” In Auckland Kauri dieback disease has been found in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, Pakiri, Okura and Albany Scenic Reserves, the Awhitu Peninsula, Great Barrier Island and private land around Auckland. It has also been found in the Waipoua Forest, Trounson Kauri Park and the forest plantations of Omahuta, Glenbervie and Russell in Northland. The national collaborative effort to fight Kauri dieback includes Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Conservation, Auckland Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Northland Regional Council, Waikato Regional Council and iwi. Visit www.kauridieback.co.nz for more. Left: The thinning canopy of a Kauri tree with Kauri dieback. www.walkingnewzealand.co.nz