Mural a reminder to protect mighty kauri

A new mural in Patukirikiri Reserve is a reminder to the public that we all have a role to play in protecting New Zealand’s most mighty native tree.

Waikato Regional Council, working with Thames-Coromandel District Council (TCDC) and Te Patukiriri, commissioned a mural by Tuateawa artist Rebekah Pearson which reminds the public that we all have a role to play to help keep kauri standing.

Kauri Protection Biosecurity Officer Hirini Rolleston and TCDC Community Facilities Field Representative Scott Farrell came up with the idea of the mural to communicate a serious message.

“The public block was essentially a blank canvas right at the start of the Kauri Block track where heaps of kauri have been planted in the past 10 years and it’s in an area that has significant stands of emergent and mature trees, some several hundreds of years old,” says Hirini.

“We can reach a lot of visitors to the Coromandel here in a creative and meaningful way, and it’s been great joining up with TCDC on the important message to protect our mighty taonga kauri.”

Artist Rebekah Pearson has created a number of murals in the Coromandel Peninsula. Her artwork is colourful and creative, and layered with environmental messages.

“It was wonderful to work on a piece of artwork that has the potential to make such a difference to these amazing trees,” says Rebekah.

Her bright, cartoon mural tells people to scrub their shoes till they are dirt free before entering a kauri area and to stick to formed tracks.

Stopping the spread of the organism that is threatening our kauri is really easy, says Hirini.

“It’s all about stopping the spread of dirt.”

The microscopic soil-borne organism called Phytophthora agathidicida (PA) can be spread by just a pinhead of soil.

“Like lots of things, its takes all of us working together to protect our kauri.”

For more info:  www.kauriprotection.co.nz.

Kauri Protection Biosecurity Officer Hirini Rolleston (left) with mural artist Rebekah Pearson.