What We Do in Kauri Forests: Exploring the Affective Worlds of ‘High Risk’ Users of Vulnerable Forest Areas in Aotearoa | New Zealand

Public use and anthropogenic activity are recognised sources of damage and threat to vulnerable forest areas in New Zealand, but also globally, through the spread of pathogens on shoes, tyres and on the paws of their companion adventurers. User experiences of sensitive and spiritual forest areas, however, have not been fully examined, particularly for those who might be considered ‘high-risk’ users of these areas. Using in-place methods and in-depth interviews with these high-risk users of all types – from pig hunters to mountain bikers, dog walkers to runners, this study focuses on their use of Kauri forests for recreation, sport and other aspects of daily life and invites their reflections on how they might develop biosecurity and stewardship for their ‘community.’ As such, the study opens biosecurity management to the messiness and value-laden relationships and affects between users and Kauri forests. The themes of deep connection and loss emerged, challenging the stereotype of public users as facilitators of forest disturbance and willful inattention. The forest users were not a homogeneous group, but they shared many commonalities. We argue that it is not necessary to overemphasise the impact of user differences from those of scientists and managers and that sometimes affective relationships to the forest are more significant than cultural factors in shaping recreational experiences and biosecurity responses.