North Canterbury News: August 05, 2021

FORESTRY
32 The North Canterbury News, August 5, 2021
Forestry scholarships open
Scholarships are available for young
New Zealanders interested in studying
for acareer in forestry and wood
processing.
Applications close for the 2022 Nga
Karahipi Uru Rakau –Forestry
Scholarships on August 15.
‘‘It is an exciting time to be studying
and working in the forestry and wood
processing sector, which is undergoing
transformation and playing aleading
role in our climate change response,’’ Te
Uru Rakau –New Zealand Forest Service
director, business and spatial
intelligence, Debbie Ward says.
Te Uru Rakau –New Zealand Forest
Service is funding three new
scholarships for the forest management
diploma at Toi Ohomai Institute of
Technology in Rotorua.
This is in addition to six scholarships
for those enrolling in aforestry science
Forest
Management Ltd
With 25 years experience in the
industry the Forest
Management Team offer
services in:
• Woodlot and shelterbelt
harvesting
• Timber sales to domestic
and export markets
• Forest establishment of
harvested and greenfield sites
• Forest valuation
• Emission Trading Scheme
advice and management
• Trainer/Assessor in NZQA
forestry related units
Our highly experienced teams aim to
ensure value optimisation in all aspects
of forest management.
degree or forestry engineering degree at
the University of Canterbury.
‘‘The scholarships are apathway to
higher­level study, and students will gain
the skills, expertise, and capabilities the
forestry and wood processing sector
needs now and into the future,’’ Ms Ward
says.
‘‘Through partnering with industry,
students are offered internships over
summer so they can put their learning
into action and gain practical, hands­on
workplace experience.
‘‘We are especially keen to hear from
students who are Maori and /oridentify
as female, as akey focus for the
programme is to increase diversity
among students and the sector
workforce.’’
Two new videos have been launched
promoting the scholarship programme
and high­level forestry study.
To find out more call
us on 03 343 4101
or visit www.forestmanagement.co.nz
1809634
Aspecial home garden ... North Canterbury's representative for the Queen Elizabeth II
National Trust, Miles Giller, with his wife Gillian, in their large, ecologically­based native
garden near Rangiora.
PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP
Protecting biodiversity
By SHELLEY TOPP
ATrust, established to protect open
spaces of ecological and cultural
significance has created an increasing
network of more than 4,700 protected
areas in New Zealand.
The Queen Elizabeth II National Trust
was established in 1977 with the aim of
establishing partnerships with private
landowners to protect sites of
significance on their land with
covenants. Under the covenants the
landowner continues to own and manage
the protected land, while the covenant,
and protection of it, remains even when
the property is sold to anew owner.
The trust team works closely with
landowners to support them and form
long­term, trusting and credible
relationships to maintain the
partnerships.
The covenants the partnerships have
established now protect more than
180,000 hectares of private land, ranging
from small backyard patches to huge
areas of high country and they play avital
role in supporting some of New Zealand’s
rarest and most endangered biodiversity
and ecosystems.
With almost 70 percent of New Zealand
land in private ownership, protecting
biodiversity and heritage on this land is
critical to reversing the decline of
indigenous biodiversity and preserving
our history.
The independent charitable Trust is
based in Wellington but has 27 regional
representatives nationwide, including
Miles Giller in North Canterbury.
Miles has been the QEII Trust’s
representative for North Canterbury
since 2001 and is often accompanied on
his field work by his wife Gillian.
Miles has aparticular interest in the
many native small­leaved shrubs that are
characteristic of the eastern South
Island area.
These plants are also afeature in the
couple’s large, ecologically­based native
garden at their home, near Rangiora.
More than 150 covenants have been
established on private land in Miles’s
North Canterbury area since 1977,
including one now part­owned by Miles
and Gillian.
‘‘The secret to protecting most
remnants of native flora and fauna lies in
maintaining good pest and weed
control,’’ Miles says.
The couple get alot of satisfaction from
helping people achieve that on their land
and having ashare in their own covenant
provides the couple with an opportunity
to put into practice what they promote.
‘‘Seeing aflock of 25 kereru feeding in
akahikatea tree last autumn was fitting
reward for all the covenant part owners,’’
Miles says.
To learn more about the QEII Trust,
visit its website at: www.
qeiinationaltrust.org.nz .
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