Restoring our coastal forests, hundreds of Thornton kānuka at a time

Summer is a great time to hit the beach, but did you know while you’re out enjoying the sun and the sand there are many native species of plants and animals who call it home – including the rare and beautiful Thornton kānuka (Kunzea toelkenii)?

Our region is rich in biodiversity, that is the many different kinds of living things you find in a specific place. From plants and animals to insects and microorganisms, there are a number only found in the Bay of Plenty.

Biodiversity plays a key role in our everyday lives that you may not even realise, including water purification and regulation, creating and maintaining soil, nutrient cycling, pollination and the regulation our climate. It also sustains life, providing a source of food and homes for many of our vulnerable species.

That’s why it’s vital we preserve it for ourselves and future generations.

To help preserve the Bay’s most unique biodiversity, Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the Department of Conservation collaboratively identified a network of more than 400 sites as priority for protection. These sites are called Priority Biodiversity Sites (PBS), and they help us focus our mahi on areas where we can ensure these ecosystems and the biodiversity they support survive and thrive.

Between Whakatāne and the Tarawera River mouth lies a 20km stretch of coastline, designated as a Priority Biodiversity Site. The focus is on the restoration and preservation of Thornton kānuka. Thornton kānuka is a rare, endemic species of kānuka that is only found at two sites in the Eastern Bay of Plenty – the last two remaining places in the world.

Once abundant along the Bay of Plenty coastline, these forests have been decimated by fires, pest animals, pest plants, vehicle tyres crushing plants, and people harvesting it for firewood and clearing land for farming or other developments.

Its current rarity classifies Thornton kānuka as threatened – nationally vulnerable.

Since 2018, the Regional Council and Coast Care Bay of Plenty have been supporting tangata whenua, landowners, local community members and schools to replant Thornton kānuka around the Walker Road area.

Coast Care is a coastal restoration programme, run in partnership with local communities, local authorities and schools to restore and protect the sand dunes along our Bay of Plenty beaches.

Powered by local volunteers, the programme includes regular community events, such as planting native dune plants, managing the spread of weeds and pests, beach clean-ups, fencing and more.

Together, more than 1,000 Thornton kānuka plants are planted annually.

Coast Care Eastern Bay of Plenty Coordinator Ben Banks says the work Coast Care does with the community is incredibly important to the success of Thornton kānuka.

“Not only does the community help to plant hundreds of trees each year but they learn how to identify Thornton kānuka and the role it plays in supporting the growth of other native flora and fauna.

“Being geared with this information means they can pass their knowledge onto the people around them, hopefully preventing further damage to these forests,” says Mr Banks.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Land Management Officer Heather MacKenzie says working with the community through individuals and groups, such as Coast Care, is an important part of the Regional Council’s work.

“Without active management of these sites, we could lose a lot of our unique and important biodiversity. But we can’t and don’t do this alone. Our community members are a key piece of the puzzle, helping us work in these areas to they can continue to flourish.”

Do you think you might have Thornton kānuka on your land?

The Regional Council has a team of land management officers who can provide advice and support with protection and restoration of Thornton kānuka forest on your land.

Together, they can help protect this unique and threatened ecosystem and the rare, endemic species that call it home.

Talk to your local Land Management Officer today: boprc.govt.nz/land-management-officers/