The Star: October 17, 2019

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The Star Thursday October 17 2019 20 OUR PEOPLE – VOLKER NOCK Canty Uni scientist out to cure the Canterbury University lecturer Volker Nock has been awarded an $800,000 fellowship to try and save native trees such as kauri from disease. Louis Day talks to him about his research and how trees could save us from global warming What are you hoping to achieve with the $800,000 fellowship? We are hoping to be able to better understand fungi and oomycetes, which are both the pathogens that attack the kauri tree. How the fungi are able to first of all find the plant, so that is where we are going to be looking at how they apparently use electric fields to navigate to the tree roots for example. But then also how they are going to be able to drill into the root systems. They are very small cells but they turn into tubular, almost drill bits, that mechanically drill into the tissue of the tree to find the nutrients and to feed on the tree and that is basically what in the long-run kills the trees. So we are hoping to understand those mechanisms better, but also use that understanding to come up BREAKTHROUGH: Canterbury University scientist Volker Nock will use an $800,000 fellowship to study diseases which threaten New Zealand’s native trees. with new ways – ideally nonchemical and non-toxin-based approaches – to treat the disease. How much risk are New Zealand’s native trees at? The risk is significant. I mean in New Zealand we have kauri dieback, which has been on the table for a while. There is significant risk that the trees will go extinct. The threat of extinction is definitely there. It’s hard to put a number on it in terms of years, depends on a lot of things. The disease spreads via the soil and the water fluid in the ground, so it is a really slow progress, but it is certainly very difficult to combat. There is currently no proper treatment – there is a compound that you can inject into the tree but that only keeps the tree alive, it doesn’t cure the tree. So once the tree is infected, there is no return. So that is in terms of kauri dieback, but globally there is also a significant risk with food crop, which has a major fungal disease associated with it. The classic example is the potato blight that devastated Ireland back in the day. You have the same thing for rice and wheat and all of these are getting worse because of climate change. How important are trees in the fight against climate change? Not my speciality, but it is obvious how important trees are in combating carbon. If we can maintain our forest cover and extend it that is certainly a way to prevent carbon getting into the atmosphere. Do you think we should be planting more trees? Certainly. I am a big tramper and I enjoy the New Zealand native forest and environment. I live in Christchurch, so I really appreciate the open landscapes of the east coast. Do you think we are in a state of climate emergency? Is action needed now? It is difficult to say no – you experience it on your own. Coming from Europe and then moving over here, I have certainly noticed even in the 13 years I have been here, how weather patterns have changed. How, for example, the glacier has receded. Simon O’Neill in Concert with Woolston Brass – Fundraising Concerts Proudly sponsored by John Rhind, international superstar tenor Simon O'Neill joins Christchurch's iconic Woolston Brass under the direction of Music Director Tyme Marsters to perform tenor classics and raise funds for the band’s future home. New Zealand born, Simon O'Neill has established himself as one of the finest helden-tenors on the international stage. He has frequently performed with the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Berlin, Hamburg and Bayerische Staatsopern, Teatro alla Scala and the Bayreuth, Salzburg, Edinburgh and BBC Proms Festivals, appearing with a number of illustrious conductors. The Woolston Brass Band has been in existence for 128 years and is the most successful and recognised band in New Zealand. Woolston Brass consists of over thirty musicians drawn from a variety of professions and ages brought together by a creative talent for making music. The band has remained true to the ideal expressed in its Maori motto, Tohea kia kaha “The Wagnerian tenor of his generation” advertorial (Persevere, so there is Strength). The band's existing hall on Dampier Street has been used since 1961 and is no longer fit for purpose, damaged from the earthquakes and is earmarked for demolition. Significant fundraising is now sought to rebuild this rehearsal facility on Dampier Street that will host the award-winning Woolston Brass and their Academy. Simon O’Neill is proudly donating his voice to help Woolston Brass raise funds for the new band hall. The fundraising concerts being held Friday 8 November at the Christchurch James Hay Theatre and Sunday 10 November at the Ashburton Trust Event Centre will feature tenor classics such as traditional Irish ballad Danny Boy (Londonderry Air), Caruso written by Italian composer Dalla, the famous Swedish Folk Song (How Great Thou Art) and the iconic aria Largo Al Factotum from Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville. Tickets available from Ticketek (Christchurch Concert) and TicketDirect (Ashburton Concert). 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Thursday October 17 2019 The Star OUR PEOPLE 21 trees that could save the world I am still a member of the university tramping club and we regularly go down to Franz Josef and Fox – it is amazing the changes I have been able to observe. The same thing when I look back home. With how things have changed, it is hard to say that climate change is not happening. Where did you grow up? I grew up in a small village close to Freiberg in the southwest of Germany, so it’s in the heart of the Black Forest right at the border to Switzerland and France. I studied there and did my under-graduate degree in Freiberg and then I ended up here to do my PhD in Canterbury. It was at the end of 2005 that I arrived in Christchurch. Do you have a family? I do. My wife did her PhD at Canterbury as well and we have a five-year-old son, Felix, who has just started school in Hoon Hay, which is very exciting. How does New Zealand compare to Germany? It is wonderful – the country has been such a great host. I have certainly made it my home now. You have a lot of people coming here as tourists but you don’t really appreciate the country until you have been here a long time. The main difference for me is really the CHANGE OF SCENERY: Volker Nock has gone from exploring the Black Forest (above) in his native Germany to tramping through the New Zealand bush to study native trees in places such as Mt Whatno in the Puketeraki Range. natural environment that still exists in New Zealand. That is very difficult to find in Europe. Europe has been cultivated and lived in for so many years by so many generations of so many people and it is very difficult to find places that are somewhat untouched and in that context preserving natural forest in New Zealand becomes so much more important because you don’t have that much in many places around the world. It is something to be proud of and look after, probably a bit more than we do at the moment. Who would you support if Germany played New Zealand in the football World Cup? That is a difficult question. My family has had a long tradition of cheering for the underdogs. So we had a bit of a reputation in our neighbourhood back home that we would sometimes cheer for smaller nations playing against Germany. I would probably support the underdogs in this case. I have very much become fond of rugby so it becomes a lot easier in that context. However, we are also supporting Japan as well at the Rugby World Cup. My wife is from Japan so we have a foot in both camps. How do you spend your time outside of the laboratory? What are your hobbies? The main hobby, which probably pushed me towards where I am now, has been tramping. I have really fallen in love with the South Island and the Southern Alps. Any opportunity now with the tramping club I’ll try and get in the hills and explore the alps. I do a bit of rock climbing and mountain biking and skiing in winter. It is really just about enjoying the outdoors that we have out here. What did you get in trouble for at school? I was never very good at music. That is probably the only time that I got detention. I have always looked at musical notes and they have never meant anything to me. I can speak several languages so that is a little bit annoying for me that I never took the time to learn music. That is certainly a subject I struggled with and I hope that my son won’t have the same problems. Apartments from $275,000 A great lifestyle in a supportive community Where New Memories are Made • Stunning serviced apartments • Restaurant & bar • Landscaped courtyards • Close to The Palms Resthome and Hospital Care – Care is what we do best • 24/7 care available throughout the Village Palms. Fully serviced care suites offering hospital and resthome level care • Dedicated registered nurses, carers and household staff • Additional support of a physiotherapist, diversional therapist, podiatrist and visiting GP Open Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm or by appointment including weekends Call Jenny for your personal guided tour 021 993 943 31 Shirley Road, Shirley www.thevillagepalms.co.nz
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The Star: October 17, 2019

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