Preventing the spread of kauri dieback
Help save our kauri forests. When you are around kauri:
- make sure shoes, tyres and equipment are cleaned to remove all soil and plant material before AND after visiting kauri forest
- use cleaning stations found on major track entrances - scrub to remove all soil and spray with sterigene
- stay on the track and off kauri roots
- keep your dog on a leash at all times
- never remove any plant material or soil from a forest - this could spread the disease
- call the Kauri Dieback Hotline 0800 NZ KAURI (69 52874) if you think a kauri tree is showing symptoms of kauri dieback on your land.
At the moment there is no known cure for kauri dieback. In the meantime, we can all help - tourists, hunters, trappers, trampers, runners, bikers, walkers. We all need to make it happen, rather than hope 'someone else' will do it. Spread the word! Many people still don’t know about kauri dieback and are spreading it without knowing. Tell your friends and family about kauri dieback disease and how to stop its spread. And, if you come across a cleaning station, remember the "4 Ss":
- Scrub your shoes
- Spray your shoes (with sterigene)
- Stay on the track
- Share the message
Boardwalks and viewing platforms
The most important thing for people to remember when visiting a kauri forest is to clean their shoes and stay on the tracks. Because kauri dieback is spread through soil, DOC and other conservation groups have been working hard to upgrade tracks. Boardwalks and viewing platforms are being built to keep visitors out of mud and away from kauri roots.
- Find out more about DOC’s work here: http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/diseases/kauri-dieback/o....
Kauri on private land
Not all kauri trees are protected by DOC or other government agencies within the kauri region. There are many private properties that have stands of kauri trees. It is important that these are also protected. One of these is the Driving Creek Railway, a popular tourist attraction near Coromandel. This property includes regenerating and replanted native kauri forest. The owners are working hard to keep the kauri on their property healthy and have built cleaning stations.
Communicating with the public
Currently there is no cure for kauri dieback. Everybody that visits kauri forests needs to be part of the effort to slow the spread of kauri dieback. It is important that the scientists, conservation experts, and biosecurity experts communicate well with the public.
Ways to communicate about kauri dieback include:
- signs in the forests and on the walking tracks
- a dedicated website - https://www.kauridieback.co.nz/
- a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TheKauriDiebackManagementProgramme/
- a newsletter called KauriKonnect.
- Check out this article (and listen to the music) about a unique way to raise awareness about kauri dieback.
