Venue: Waiheke Sustainability Centre, 1a Mako Street, Oneroa

Our October hui hosted general group updates and a special guest:

SPOTLIGHT: Kahikatea Tree, with Karen Denyer (in-person)

E tū kahikatea

It’s our tallest native plant - reaching an eye-watering 65+ meters.
It’s an iconic swamp forest tree.
We’ve cleared 98% of its forest nationwide.
And now they are dying off from an unknown cause.
Kahikatea, the white pine. As ancient as the dinosaurs, and potentially heading the same way.

Karen Denyer joined us for an engaging talk on the kahikatea tree. We learned about its ecology, its pressures, and why we should be planting more of it.

Karen is an ecologist and science communicator. She co-authored the book Life in the Shallows showcasing Aotearoa’s wetland scientists and their work. A part-timer on Waiheke, she has undertaken extensive wetland and forest surveys on the island and enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with volunteers and early-career scientists.