Commercial pine forests and kiwi conservation: contradiction or opportunity?

“We know kiwi are happy to live in commercial forests. And we know that of New Zealand’s landmass, I think it’s something like 7% of that landmass is covered in commercial forests of some description.”

That’s about 1.8 million hectares of a largely untapped habitat many people overlook!

In this episode, forestry specialist Craig Balsom from Save the Kiwi explains the sometimes surprising role New Zealand’s pine plantation forests can play in kiwi conservation.

Craig shares how Save the Kiwi and forest owners are working together to map kiwi presence and train harvest crews on how to detect kiwi sign. He also highlights how some forestry companies are already doing a great job with predator control efforts and strict dog management rules within their estates.

Alongside these efforts, updated guidelines and a new research project are helping to answer tough questions about how modern harvesting impacts kiwi today.

Craig also addresses how working with industry comes with risks, especially the danger of greenwashing: “We step into these spaces, only if we know that the people or the company (…) that we’re partnering with are being open and honest and transparent about what they’re wanting to achieve and why they’re wanting to achieve it.” That means doing due diligence and choosing partners carefully.

If we balance it right, pine forests could significantly increase kiwi habitat in Aotearoa and complement traditional conservation efforts.

Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

• When it was discovered that kiwi live in pine forest.
• Current practices around keeping kiwi in plantations safe.
• Why forestry companies are motivated to support kiwi conservation.
• New research into how modern harvesting affects kiwi.
• How well-managed pine forests can complement conservation efforts.
• Examples and case studies.
• Potential greenwashing issues.
• And much more…

About Craig

For the past two years, Craig Balsom has been working with forestry companies as Save the Kiwi’s in-house forestry specialist. With almost 30 years’ experience in commercial forestry, Craig has been able to utilise his industry knowledge to assist Save the Kiwi in encouraging and supporting more pine plantations to embrace predator management.

A key focus has been providing updated forestry guidelines for plantation owners and managers. Pine plantations offer a significant untapped resource for kiwi with a multitude of fauna. Craig has been championing the effective use of the infrastructure that companies already have in place (particularly access roads and personnel) to make the most of a fantastic biodiversity opportunity for an industry that is often seen as having a poor environmental impact.

Craig (Ngāti Hei) has also prioritised engaging iwi and the shared kaitiakitanga that is fundamental to the Save the Kiwi kaupapa.

Learn more:

• Website: www.savethekiwi.nz
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/savethekiwinewzealand
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/savethekiwinz

Learn more about the podcast at www.conservationamplified.org