A decade of expert arborist support helps keeps maunga safe
After recently celebrating ten years of donated services to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, Waikato Tree Services is encouraging other local organisations to help preserve this nationally significant gem.
Waikato Tree Services, owned by Waipā Networks, donates five days of arborist services annually to maintain safe walking tracks and help protect the sanctuary from predators.
The extensive native forest stretches across kilometres of mountain terrain, and managing it is not easy. When it comes to large tree fall, it’s best to call in the experts to do the mahi.
Waikato Tree Services manager Mike Hawker says you never quite know what to expect when called upon as the work is so diverse, from large hazardous trees or suspended branches to remedial pruning near the perimeter fence.
“Our role is to make it safe for people, as well as clear trees away from the predator-free fencing as quickly as possible, so tracks can be once again opened and enjoyed by the public, all while minimising disturbances to the wildlife that call Maungatautari home,” he explains.
“It’s a special environment and we love providing this essential support to the charitable trust. It’s also a nice change away from the typical work we do for Waipā Networks, keeping trees away from powerlines,” he adds.
Covering 3,363 hectares and ringed by the 47km predator-proof fence, Sanctuary Mountain Mangatautari enables visitors to experience New Zealand at its purest. Home to over 400 native plant and animal species, including 16 critically endangered species, it is the largest of its kind in the world.
The sanctuary preserves an ancient ecosystem and visiting it is like stepping back into pre-historic times, with giant tawa, rimu and rata trees towering at the top of the canopy and magical birdsong filling the air.
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari CEO Helen Hughes has a team of skilled rangers and volunteers dedicated to managing the eco-sanctuary, its native species, and the surrounding fence.
She says the fence is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and Waikato Tree Services generously donates critical skills to assist with fence breaches caused by fallen trees and branches. Their help reduces the likelihood of pests entering the sanctuary.
“Our team has a huge, challenging and nationally significant job to do, and having experts from Waikato Tree Services partner with us over the last decade to support us with the trickier jobs has been invaluable,” says Hughes.
“It means that we can quickly reopen our tracks after a windfall, and we can continue to protect the sanctuary and it’s native species.
“Having long term support from organisations, such as Waikato Tree Services, is incredibly humbling and invaluable. It’s not just knowing we can get the mahi done, it’s about how the sanctuary team perceives their value. When the community leans in to help it illuminates the importance of the sanctuary team efforts,” she adds.
Reflecting on their time spent at the maunga, Hawker described their first project of 2024 – a huge Tawa tree due for retirement with a rotted base being suspended on another tree for support.
“The beautiful old Tawa tree needed some attention so that the walkway could reopen and the community could get back to enjoying the sanctuary again.”
This particular project was a testament to one of their mottos – no project is too big or small.
“The team really enjoy the work, as it’s often challenging and very rewarding knowing we are doing something that directly benefits our community” says Hawker.