22nd May 2024 Newsletter
PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
Thank you to everyone who responded to my call for thoughts and ideas in my last column. Your input is invaluable, and I encourage those who have not yet shared their ideas to do so before the new council meets in mid-June to plan for the next two years. We need your feedback to make informed decisions. This is a pivotal time for the institute, and understanding what our members want is crucial. Please take a moment tonight to send in your thoughts, views, and ideas.
Conference 2024 in Nelson
Registration for Conference 2024 in Nelson will go live soon. I encourage you to attend this exciting event. The conference committee has worked hard to put together an engaging program, including three potential field trips. There will also be plenty of networking opportunities. Reach out to your past colleagues and arrange to meet at the conference. These events are vital for exchanging ideas, challenging our views, and networking, as well as celebrating our achievements. Don’t wait until the last minute to register; do so as soon as registration opens. You won’t regret it.
Call for Sponsors
We are still looking for sponsors for the conference. If you are interested, please contact me. Our conference relies on the generosity of our sponsors. If you’re not part of the decision-making team around sponsorship, please suggest to your team they consider sponsoring us.
International Exchange Program for Recent Graduates
We are excited to announce an upcoming international exchange program for recent graduates. The program will involve exchanges between the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. We aim to send two recent graduates each year on a three-month exchange to one of these countries. Work and a salary will be arranged, along with a small stipend for flights and incidentals. If you are within five years of completing higher education, keep an eye out for this opportunity. This program is exclusive to NZIF members, so if you’re not a member yet, consider joining.
Support Changes
It is with sadness I announce Jay has decided to resign from her role as the Registration Board Administrator to travel. We wish her and Ralph safe travels and many adventures. Nikki Kruger has been contracted to take over this role, with the handover currently in progress. Nikki will be working from the same email address as Jay, ensuring continuity for registered members. Additionally, Betsie, who has been managing our accounts for the past 12 months, is also leaving. Nikki will be taking over this role as well. Remember to send any account queries to accounts@nzif.org.nz, and all other inquiries to nzifoffice@nzif.org.nz. Please join me in welcoming Nikki to NZIF.
Support for Science
We have linked a media release sent out last week within this newsletter, calling for more support for science. It is disheartening to see our scientists struggling, especially when we need improved productivity and higher-end uses for our products. We will continue advocating for better funding for forestry science.
Get Involved
Members, this is your Institute. I implore you to take the time to write to us, register for the conference, and get involved. I firmly believe in the Institute, but we need your participation to succeed.
Thank you
James
KEEPING YOU IN THE LOOP
RECENT MEDIA RELEASE
NZIF’s concern at lack of funding for science which is limiting our ability to unlocking Growth and Sustainability
The New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) today expresses deep apprehension over the potential redundancies of scientists at Scion, New Zealand's leading forestry research institute. The Institute highlights the imminent threat to crucial scientific expertise and the detrimental impact on the forestry sector's innovation and sustainability efforts.
As the global community grapples with pressing environmental challenges, the forestry sector stands as one sector which offers sustainable solutions to mitigate climate change and drive economic progress. At the heart of this vital industry lies science, playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of New Zealand's forests and enhancing the nation's economy.
Scion, renowned for its pioneering research in forestry, plays a pivotal role in driving advancements in sustainable forest management, biosecurity, and wood product innovation. The loss of skilled scientists due to lack of funding would not only disrupt ongoing research projects but also undermine New Zealand's ability to address pressing environmental challenges, including climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation.
Memories of the 75th NZIF Celebrations 2003
Recent notices in the newsletter about the NZIF centennial in 2027 reminded me about the 75th anniversary celebration which took place in 2003, when I was then president of the NZIF. It was a much less heralded affair than currently planned based around two events. The first of these was the annual conference in April 2003 in Queenstown. Similar to the upcoming 2027 conference, this was a joint ANZIF conference during which former NZIF president Bill Studholme gave a presentation reviewing the history of the NZIF, and another former-president Lindsay Poole and I cut a ceremonial cake. Lindsay joined the NZIF shortly after its establishment in 1927.
The second event is the main reason for my writing. This was a tree-planting ceremony that took place in the Otari-Wilton Bush reserve in the Wellington suburb of Wilton. Organised by Andrew McEwen (later a NZIF president), Otari-Wilton Bush has a close association with the NZIF. Founding Director and one of New Zealand's foremost early botanists Leonard Cockayne was an NZIF Honorary Member; Lindsay Poole, himself an eminent botanist, had strong links with Otari and NZIF member Stan Reid laid out a number of ecological plots in the reserve in 1932-34, considered to be some of the earliest (if not the earliest) studies of its kind in New Zealand. Stan would go on to re-measure these plots 50 years later in 1982-83 and they have been re-measured at least once again since then.
Suffice to say that Otari-WIlton Bush Trust was only too willing for the NZIF to plant a tree which Lindsay (then aged 94) and I duly did in June 2003 , accompanied by a group of other NZIF members. The choice of tree was very straightforward based on the fact that a rimu is prominent in the NZIF logo.
Recently I re-visited Otari through a walking group I am involved with, and the current-chair of the Trust took the attached photos. The first is of myself and said rimu, now 4 metres tall; the second is of the plaque which was placed at a strategic distance away from the then seedling to ensure there was plenty of room for growth over the next couple of centuries.
The NZIF was founded in 1927. Those of you with a mathematical bent will realise that the 75th anniversary celebrations were actually due in 2002. This time around It looks like the celebrations will be in the right year. I wonder if another tree planting ceremony might be appropriate. If so, I can recommend a place.
Tim Thorpe
SALARY SURVEY
It takes only a few minutes!
Welcome to the fifth annual salary survey for members of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF). This survey has become a key resource since its inception, with findings being particularly widely utilised. We conduct this survey each year to build a robust dataset that allows for the analysis of trends and comparisons over time. The success of this survey, however, depends crucially on the participation of a sufficient number of members, and we deeply appreciate your contribution.
This year's survey consists of 12 questions and takes only a few minutes to complete. Please note that all information provided is completely anonymous. Once the analysis is finalised, we will share the results with all members.
The survey will remain open until Friday, 24th May 2024. Should you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact Veronica Bennett at nzifoffice@nzif.org.nz.
Thank you for taking the time to participate.
To complete the survey click here: SALARY SURVEY
NZIF WEBINARS
Don't miss this great line-up of speakers on the very popular topic.
** Douglas-fir from an industry viewpoint
** Where to next for the National Wilding Conifer Program?
** Can biotech help prevent new wildings?
Douglas-fir from an industry viewpoint.
An update on Douglas-fir from an industry viewpoint, and the challenges with wildings that is severely limiting where the species can be grown with certainty
Presenter: Phil Delamare, Ernslaw One
South Island Regional Manager for Ernslaw One and responsible for management of 12,000ha of Douglas-fir, much of which was established in the 1990s. Previously Chair of the Douglas-fir Research Cooperative, and inaugural member of the Douglas-fir Association which was established in 2004 to fight new regulations on treatment as a result of the leaky homes crisis. Currently the FOA rep on the Central Otago Wilding Group. Ernslaw established a Douglas-fir seed orchard in the 1990s when demand for seed internally and externally was very high. Since the NES-PF, and now the NES-CF, demand for seed has plummeted due to the limited areas the species can be planted without risk of wilding spread. The future for the species lies in gene editing a sterile tree in areas at risk of wilding spread, and for existing stands we are looking at using a recently developed cone abortion spray for stand edges and take-off sites.
Where to next for the National Wilding Conifer Program?
In 2014 a cross-sector group developed the New Zealand Wilding Conifer Management Strategy 2015-2030 to manage wilding conifers and provide a framework for the national programme. Since the development of this strategy significant government funding has been allocated to the delivery of the national program across the country. With national funding reducing the focus now moves to transitioning wilding conifer management back to landholders, so what does this mean for communities and stakeholders still effected by wilding conifer infestations?
Most regulations regarding wilding conifers are captured through regional pest management plans (RPMPs) however a compliance approach has been rarely applied by councils while the national funding has been active. However, this may change with a focus shift towards transition.
Presenter: Zac Robinson, Zolve Environmental (www.zolveenvironmental.com)
Zac is the Managing Director of Zolve Environmental. Prior to this he worked as the National Health, Safety and Environmental Manager for Port Blakely Forestry, including representing the FOA Environmental Committee on the National Wilding Conifer Stakeholders Group. For the past two years Zolve Environmental have project managed the Wilding Conifer Program in the canterbury region on behalf of Environment Canterbury, including strategic and tactical support within the program. Currently Zolve in partnership with Environment Canterbury and MPI are undertaking the first transition pilot project for the national program in the Godley Management Unit.
Can biotech help prevent new wildings?.
The biotechnology regulations established in New Zealand during the late 1990s are widely considered outdated and not fit-for-purpose. While many other nations have modernised their regulatory frameworks reflecting new knowledge and technological advancements, New Zealand has lagged behind, resulting in barriers to both research and deployment. However, planned regulatory changes aim to align New Zealand with our global partners, enabling the adoption of beneficial technologies that offer potential solutions to challenges faced by our planted forests.
The development of sterile Douglas-fir is a beneficial trait that could be produced using a biotech. Sterile trees would allow planting Douglas-fir without the concern of generating new wildings, currently a major obstacle to new plantings. Work Scion has carried out to produce sterile trees using gene editing technology (CRISPR) to modify essential reproductive genes will be described. How the forthcoming regulatory changes might allow testing of these trees, a step currently impeded by existing regulations, will be discussed.
Presenter: Glenn Thorlby, Scion Research
Glenn is a tree biotechnologist at Scion where he has worked for 15 years. Prior to this he worked as Scientist and group leader in UK Universities. At Scion he manages projects that aim to develop biotech tools to benefit forestry. Current projects include sterility, disease resistance and tree development. He also has an interest in the regulation of biotechnology in New Zealand. He has contributed to government, the FSC and Royal Society reviews of genetic technologies and was responsible for the preparation and submission of the EPA field trial application that allows Scion to carry out field trials with GMO trees.
Date: Tuesday, 28th May 2024
Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm NZST
Ticket Cost: $NZD (payment by credit card)
$10 NZIF Members
$30 Non Members
Free: NZIF Student Members
REGISTER HERE
Update on Environmental Reform
Presented by: Chris Fowler: Partner - Resource Management Team, Saunders & Co Lawyers
This was another successful webinar - what a member had to say:
"These sessions are always good, this one especially so. I really appreciate being able to review the recording afterwards, it always surprises me how much more I pick up."
For those that didn't register, don't worry we have you covered.
Pop into the NZIF Shop and purchase your copy today!
Reminder: To purchase at the member rate of $10 you need to be signed in.
Upcoming Webinars
The CPD committee are working hard to bring you the following webinars that will be advertised over the coming months, look out for the details in your email and in the newsletter.
FUTURE FORESTER UPDATES
Join the Future Foresters Leadership Committee - Applications Now Open!
We are excited to announce that the Future Foresters team is seeking enthusiastic and dedicated individuals to join their Leadership Committee. This is a fantastic opportunity to shape the future of forestry, contribute to the community, and develop your leadership skills.
We believe that our members have the passion and expertise necessary to make a significant impact in this role. The application form is attached for your convenience.
For any further questions or clarifications, feel free to reach out to : info@futureforesters.com
The Big Ball - Connecting Aotearoa's Primary Sector
Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 7:00pm - 11:45pm - Lincoln University
The Future Foresters are supporting this ball for mental health in the primary industries.
NZIF FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS 2024
NZIF Foundation Scholarships and Awards 2024 are open!
We're happy to declare that applications for the 2024 Scholarships and Awards are now officially open!
To view information on the opportunities in various categories, select the link below:
- Chavasse Travel Awards
- Frank Hutchinson Postgraduate Scholarship
- Mary Sutherland Scholarship
- Otago Southland Award
- University Undergraduate Scholarship
- Student Post Competition
Don't miss out on this chance and apply today!
The Foundation has recently created a new webpage featuring the Trustees and a bit about each of them. Get to know the faces working behind the scenes for the NZIF Foundation. Trustees
