Continuous Cover Forestry - and its role in our changing landscape

Simon Upton (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment) in his May 2024 report entitled "Going with the Grain" says:
Our landscapes today look very different to how they looked a century ago, and by the end of this century they will look very different again.
In the case of our own farm, that is certainly going to be true!
This video uses our farm as a case study to demonstrate some of the benefits and realities of continuous cover forestry using native species in New Zealand.
The sad reality of the situation is that native forests whether on DOC land or private farms, are now under attack from so many introduced browsers, invasive exotic plants and microscopic pathogens such as myrtle rust and kauri dieback - that human intervention is now vital for their survival. Planting native species on private land and managing them as Continuous Cover Forestry is one of the best ways for us to ensure the long term survival of our native species.
Ian Brennan July 2024

[@daveburnham9111]

Fantastic work.

[@dprcontracting6299]

Fantastic work! With some of the things going on in my beloved country, this gives me new heart.

[@TanesTrees]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@frankstrie3214]

I just love it!! Thanks Ian and all involved.

[@yellowpoppy253]

So meaningful. What a great legacy.

[@pinkelephants1421]

Vast swathes of Aotearoa would benefit from this approach. Certainly the family farm I grew up on just north of Kaeo in the far north and most of our neighbouring farms could've benefited greatly and not been so vulnerable to the summer droughts of the late 1960's & 1970's.
In truth, most of NZ's hilly countryside should never have been clear felled for farming. It just wasn't suitable for farming in the first place, and the same is true for large swathes of Australia. Once you take the bush away, the land loses its vitality.

[@carcass2677]

Suppose all we can do is try and bring the animals back through native planting

[@1600tbird1]

Great working with Ian .Great place to work. We'll done Ian

[@jameshoare6531]

we need more of this

[@TanesTrees]

Yep. I believe we do! Ian

[@alisonmclaren465]

You are a Legend Ian...awesome...

[@finnkelcher5558]

The best!

[@anthonyburke5656]

Have you written this up? I mean “Rules” for design, for example “On slopes of more than - degrees, do this and on slopes of Y degrees do thus” I’m a bit leery of “native forests” that reliance on “native” seems to me to throw away an enormous resource in the rest of the worlds Flora. Do you only plant native crops? Do you only raise native animals?

[@TanesTrees]

Hi Anthony,
For more than a century, crown research institutes and private forestry companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars researching and improving exotic native timber species (mainly Pinus radiata). Native species have been almost completely ignored during this time. On top of that, almost 100% of NZ forestry consists of planted stands which are clear felled. My small forest differs from this model in two ways.
First, this forest is permanent. Trees can be harvested in small volumes according to strict rules to ensure the forest ecosystem remains intact. This will deliver ongoing biodiversity, erosion control, water quality and amenity benefits. Future owners of this land may decide not to fell any trees, in which case this will simply become an attractive block of 'Bush'.
Second, I have planted a wide variety of native species in a number of different ways precisely so that their growth rates and general vigour can be measured and recorded.
Cheers, Ian

[@anthonyburke5656]

@@TanesTrees Hello TanesTrees, About 45 to 50 years ago, I read an article which discussed the most profitable use of marginal rural land. The conclusion was to “convert” it to forestry using a criteria of selection for the species planted. At first planting “short term” colonisers (legumes, mimosa etc) and still strip grazing, while inter planting the skeleton of the “final form” species selected on the basis of multiple use, with every plant being planted for at least 3 uses, such as: fruit, nuts, shade, nectar, timber, nitrogen fixer, land stabiliser, water table adjuster, de-salinator, firewood, animal feed, compost material producer etc. one man in Victoria took it seriously enough to start the experiment and rapidly found the most profitable use was nectar for his bee hives (which alone out produced sheep and cattle) firewood and then building timber then furniture timber. He found, even early in the experiment, the land yielded a higher return, as he learned to look and think of usage.