It’s a huge challenge to conserve and restore kauri and native plants vulnerable to myrtle rust for future generations. It requires Te Ao Māori world view and appropriate governance arrangements over the whenua – not just where adult plants grow but also where they can potentially regenerate.
Working from a pathogen host and ecosystem point of view, this research team incorporates conservation biology principles to make sure susceptible plant species survive myrtle rust and kauri dieback in Aotearoa.
This video directed by Ngāriki Ngatae (Akaririo Films) was screened at the online Kaurilands Summit 2021.
This research programme is funded by Ngā Rākau Taketake, which is administered by New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge | Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho.