It’s a huge challenge to conserve and restore kauri and native plants vulnerable to myrtle rust for future generations. It requires Te Ao Māori world view and appropriate governance arrangements over the whenua – not just where adult plants grow but also where they can potentially regenerate. Working from a pathogen host and ecosystem point of view, this research team incorporates conservation biology principles to make sure susceptible plant species survive myrtle rust and kauri dieback in Aotearoa.
Click ‘play’ to view what they’ve been up to in the first three years of the programme. This programme is funded by Ngā Rākau Taketake, which is administered by New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge | Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho.