August 2010 Field day

Beautiful weather and the picturesque setting of the Upper Karuah Valley made for an enjoyable day for the nearly 40 people who attended the August field day on two adjacent properties.
On the first property, a three year old plantation of some 1500 trees of mixed species, most endemic to the local area, was inspected. Tree spacing was generally 4 metres and some trees had reached 6 metres in height. Factors affecting growth included moisture distribution and shading from adjacent forest. A Mahoe twin blade transportable mill is used for milling single selection trees from the property’s native forest for rural fencing products and small quantities of flooring, decking and palings.
A forest management plan of the second property was presented. This details the composition and condition of the forest, recommended silviculture regimes and possible products. Part of the property containing single age forest, resulting from previous clearing, was inspected and appropriate management to encourage species diversity was discussed.