Speaker: Dr Ian Horner
Date: Thursday 23 July
Time: 6pm
Venue: Havelock North Function Centre
Admission: Gold coin donation
Kauri trees are one of the largest and magnificent living beings on the planet, dominating the northern forests of Aotearoa-New Zealand. But our iconic kauri were plundered for their timber during the 19th and 20th centuries and are now further threatened by a micro-organism spreading through the forest, killing trees and destroying whole ecosystems. What causes kauri dieback, where did it come from, how does it attack kauri, how does it spread, and most importantly, what can be done about it?
For the past 42 years, Dr Ian Horner has worked as a Plant Pathologist for New Zealand Science Institutes from DSIR to The Bioeconomy Science Institute. His work has focussed on the biology and control of various diseases that have threatened New Zealand’s horticultural industries and forests. For the past 20 years he has studied our kauri forests and the biology and potential control of kauri dieback disease. Ian will present a summary of what we have learned about kauri and the disease threatening its very existence, and provide an optimistic but challenging view of what can be done to manage it and preserve our iconic kauri forests for future generations.
