New Zealanders have learned a lot about epidemiology and science in the last 18 months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the council, we’re applying an epidemiological approach to monitoring kauri health to help us understand and manage the spread of kauri dieback disease.
The latest kauri monitoring and surveillance programme has begun in the Waitākere Ranges with teams setting out to understand how the disease is impacting individual trees and the wider kauri population.
You can learn more about the council's approach to kauri dieback on our website.
Visit Keep Kauri Standing for updates on kauri dieback and for more information on the disease.
2021 Kauri Dieback monitoring webinar
In May 2021, we hosted a live webinar followed by a Q&A session to share with Aucklanders how we’re approaching this year’s Kauri Dieback monitoring programme.
You can download the full webinar to listen to our panel of experts discuss how the programme was developed, why this year’s monitoring programme is different to previous ones, and how the data we collect will inform future management of the disease.
The webinar was presented by Lisa Tolich, Kauri Dieback Manager, Environmental Services, Auckland Council; and Dr Karyn Froud, Biosecurity Scientist and Epidemiologist at Biosecurity Research. The session was moderated by Prof. Margaret Stanley, Associate Professor in Ecology with the Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, University of Auckland.
At the conclusion of the webinar, we held a Q&A session where our experts answered as many questions from viewers as possible.
The questions that they weren’t able to respond to during the live session due to time restrictions, have been answered in this downloadable PDF file.
To find out more, visit Our Auckland, and join our mailing list to receive the Keep Kauri Standing newsletters.
Kauri health survey in Waitākere Ranges
Auckland Council surveys public land to monitor kauri dieback disease and for the first time will be extending its approach to include healthy trees in its studies.
Lisa Tolich says new remote sensing technology means that over the past few years, the council has been able to get a good estimate on how many individual kauri trees are in the ranges, and from that, draw a sample of trees to survey.
“We are giving kauri in the Waitākere Ranges a full health check and will continue monitoring these specific trees for years to come,” she says.
Read more about the survey here
What's on the horizon for kauri tracks in 2021
Work is underway on tracks across the region.
Several tracks in the regional park network have already re-opened with upgrade works to others either underway or about to start.
