Kauri heroes right down to their boots.
Social distancing, quarantine and isolation are no stranger to our magnificent kauri trees as a strategy to prevent the spread of kauri dieback. At the moment, COVID-19 fills every waking moment, conversation and social media platform, however we need to plan for when the lock down ends and make sure that kauri continue to be protected. At the local level PFK will be working hard to make sure the messaging about kauri protection is prominent. A key focus will be to remind people not to rush off into the bush once the lock down ends and the flood gates open, without engaging in kauri hygiene. We will also be promoting the Kaipatiki Explorer booklet which gives people ideas of where to go to enjoy the outdoors without endangering kauri. This is available from our website.
At the macro level, we will need to be vigilant and maintain a watchdog role as government and key agencies grapple with the economic impact of Covid-19. While economic stability will unquestionably be important, we can not afford for anyone to take their eye off the ball and reduce the profile of the national and regional kauri dieback programmes. Let's turn our collective gaze and intellect to combat this issue and ensure that kauri survives this virus too.