19/5/2009 Scion Workshop Evening.
Two club members, Ken and Ian attended from our club. We were the only tramping club there. Scion had invited all community forest-user groups around Dunedin, but only 20 had registered but only 8 had turned up, possibly because of the inclement weather. There were also several hunters and some mountain-bikers.
Scion, formerly The New Zealand Forest Research Institute (Ltd), is a A New Zealand Crown Research Institute charged with conducting scientific research. (Wikipedia).
It had conducted morning workshops with Otago Forestry Companies and the evening workshop was devoted to community users of Forestry plantations.
We looked at about a dozen examples of “What New Zealanders value about Forests.”
Ian’s group was interested in a forest’s bio-diversity, its variety of flora and fauna and its history, and any discontinuities. This could be measured by regular measurements. Our group was more interested in selective rather than clear-felling.
Ken’s group looked at the matter of forest access.
We found the evening surprisingly interesting, appreciated that there was a body charged with ethical and environmental considerations about NZ forests and we were assured our reactions, as community users of Plantations would be part of their national reasearch. Glad we went. A pity a lot more failed to. – Ian.