The Kauri Rescue team recently attended a well attended Kauri Ora hui in Whangarei hosted by Ngati Hine. Dr Ian Horner did a presentation giving an optimistic view of kauri dieback management and Mels took along the Kauri Rescue stall.

The team stayed overnight at the marae and very much enjoyed the hospitality, meeting everyone and hearing about all the projects being undertaken across Te Tai Tokerau to protect and enhance kauri health. Thanks to Ngati Hine for hosting and for the photo.

Learn about our local Kauri and how to protect them. Join us for an informative session where Dr Mels Barton will demonstrate how to understand the health of your Kauri, look after them and protect them for the next generation. This session will be held outdoors, amongst our kauri at the Colin McCahon Museum in Titirangi.

Caring for your kauri with Dr Mels Barton
Saturday 28 March 2026, 10 am – 11 am
67 Otitori Bay Road, Titirangi
RSVP by Thursday 19 March is essential. Please reserve your space by emailing mccahon@mccahonhouse.org.nz

Image: Emily Karaka, Kauri Ora (red), 2022

Kauri Rescue Project Coordinator Dr Mels Barton was delighted to be invited to participate in this Landowner’s Kauri Protection Workshop by Pest Free Kaipatiki. The attendees were super enthusiastic to learn all they could about kauri dieback disease and how to keep kauri healthy. The conversation and the questions ranged far and wide, and the evening went on much longer than was planned, with everyone leaving inspired and enthusiastic. 

Huge thanks to Shanti from Pest Free Kaipatiki for organising the evening and being the perfect host. We’ll be happy to come back again anytime!

The Kauri Rescue team will be joining a plethera of environmental and community stalls being showcased at the Matuku Link World Wetlands Day market on Sunday 1 February at 111 Bethells Rd, Te Henga, west Auckland from 10am to 3pm. Last year there were over 600 attendees and the event was buzzing, so we expect a similar turnout this time and another great family day out.

The World Wetlands Day has a strong focus on family-friendly activities and hands-on learning with a wide variety of talks, walks and activities for all ages, along with delicious food and drinks to keep you going.

Our Project Coordinator Dr Mels Barton will be leading a guided walk and talk at 12.30pm and we will have our information stall available all day, so come along and say hello to the team, we’d love to see you.

December 2025 was an important milestone for kauri protection in Auckland with the first phosphite treatment programme for local parks kicking off in the Titirangi War Memorial Reserve. Huge thanks to the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and the Auckland Council Biosecurity team for their support for this work.

It was a collaborative effort with Te Kawerau ā Maki, Kauri Rescue and Auckland Council plus a volunteer from DOC, who came to learn how to do the treatment process, all working together. We are delighted to finally get this work underway and look forward to improving the health of kauri in other parks around the region in the new year.

The Kauri Rescue team of Dr Ian Horner & Dr Mels Barton recently spent a fantastic couple of days in Northland running our outreach stall as part of the muddy boots and kauri roots collaboration at the Whangarei A&P Society Show.

Our display was set up alongside displays from Northland iwi Te Roroa, Nga Puhi Kaitiaki Kauri and Ngati Wai as well as Tiakina Kauri – Kauri Protection programme, Kauriology and Northland Regional Council.

It was so good to see everyone again after our similar set-up at the Northland Fielddays last March, which we will be attending again in 2026.

The networking opportunity with all these other kauri guardians was gold and with the added bonus of being able to let the Whangarei public know that there is a successful treatment for kauri dieback, so we signed up a number of landowners with kauri for a free tree health check and will be following up with them.