By Emma Fryer

Is it just us or is this year absolutely flying by?!

Welcome to mid-March everyone and what a good year it is shaping up to be.

We have kicked off our first planting for the year, which feels a little strange as it is still very dry. But we are planting a detention pond, so all is looking okay for the plants.

We feel for Australia being battered by the elements, 300mm of rain in 24 hours I heard on the radio. Weather seems to be a bit of an all or nothing event these days.

The government has officially declared drought conditions in Taranaki, Northland, Waikato, Horizons and the Marlborough-Tasman regions. They are classifying the affected regions as a medium scale adverse event. This opens up some avenues of support for farmers and growers and also reiterates that supporting each other is vital during adverse times.

On a positive note, however, we are enjoying the beauty of the kahikateas this year, which are absolutely laden with fruit. What a good year to be a bird! We were working in the Pernod Ricard Kaituna Wetland last week and it was such a treat. We first started working there back in about 2014 when plantings were reasonably young. The site was littered with fragmented willows and old man's beard, but the overall site was full of potential. It is now a beautiful forest with natural regeneration happening under the canopy. It is so heartening to see and is the greatest reminder of why we do what we do. We aren’t planting finished forests, but we are facilitating them. The quicker we can get canopy cover, the quicker mother nature takes over and brings in the enrichment species – the forever forests.

On a personal note, it’s been a whirlwind month for the Fryer family. We recently said goodbye to my grandmother, and in just a week, I’m getting married. So, between wedding and funeral planning, it’s been all hands-on deck. It will be a time of celebrating life in all stages. From honouring grandma and the privilege it is to grow old, to celebrating new life with a couple of family members expecting babies any minute. Then I am marrying my best friend, and the village that raised us is coming together to spend quality time. While we’re hoping for sunshine on the 22nd, a little rain before then would be most welcome—we’re even willing to dance for it!

While the Fryers take some time off to be with family and friends, Dan, Evelyn, and Bridget will be holding down the FuturEcology fort. Our inboxes remain open, and we’d love to hear from you if you have projects on the horizon and need our support.

Acceptance of novel landscapes

By Robert Fryer

We were fortunate over the Christmas break to have a holiday with family in the Wellington area. Amongst other things, we spent a few days in the Wairarapa, a lovely treed landscape. It was a good chance to sit back and reflect on a few ideas.

The Wairarapa, like the rest of New Zealand, has its land use and weed issues and it was hard not to be drawn into thinking about what the future may hold for our grandchildren.

A little while ago, I had read several books that discussed the concept of “novel” landscapes, with the idea that we may just need to accept what we have and look for the positives in that. At the time I thought this through and could not live with that idea. As I have got older, and probably a bit more tired, I am starting to revisit the idea that we cannot turn the clock back everywhere. In some instances, perhaps we have to live with what we have and work within those constraints to achieve what we want to achieve.

Certainly I remain committed to the work that we are doing to restore wetlands and riparian forest where that is achievable and sustainable, but I also recognise that we may need to compromise and look for the small gains within the wider landscape. Maybe it comes down to taking a longer-term view of how we achieve change and adapt methodologies to achieve this. We have some exciting ideas to work on this year.

One thing that remains absolutely clear is the need for good planning at the outset of a project, setting realistic goals and robust methodologies to get there.

I do remain optimistic and tree planting is as important as it has ever been. We just need to be a little more thoughtful and clever about what we are doing. We also need to involve more people. I believe there is a vast untapped resource out there of people who are looking for opportunities to be more involved and give back to their community.

Our challenge is to understand the landscapes we live in, and create opportunities for people to engage, understand and contribute in their own way to those landscapes.

Spray Drift and Spraying

By Jan Fryer

In our many years of working in the ecological restoration sector, we have always been super careful with spraying chemicals and particularly aware of the issue of spray drift.

Sadly, in the last month, two of our major planting projects have been subjected to spray drift from work being carried out on neighbouring land. It is so disheartening to see years of work affected in a matter of minutes. One of the problems is that often the damage is not obvious until a few weeks later, when you suddenly notice great swathes of dieback in otherwise healthy plants.

We are following up on the impacts of these, but it is a very timely reminder to everyone to be exceedingly aware of the potential adverse impacts of spraying.

Hawkes Bay Regional Council has a very good document on spraying and spray drift.

A few key points from the information include:

Spray plans are needed by commercial operators when using machines or aircraft.
The plan should identify sensitive areas including areas of native bush, rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands, sensitive crops and areas the public may be using such as roads and cycleways.
You have a right to ask for their spray plans.
Commercial sprayers must have or be under the supervision of someone with GROWSAFE certification.
Some ‘organic’ chemicals can still cause skin irritation or odour issues across boundaries.

As a non-commercial sprayer or if you are spraying on your own property, you must still adhere to best practice.

Know your chemicals and read the labels.
Use the correct chemicals and rates for the job.
Apply as close as practical to the target.
Check for sensitive areas around your property and neighbouring properties.
Use accurate methods next to waterways.
Following directions on the label.
Special care is needed if using hormone-based sprays (don’t go anywhere near grapes or tomatoes).

We have found that there are tests available through Hills laboratory that can determine, through tissue samples, what sprays a plant has been affected with. This can be costly, but worth pursuing if there has been significant damage to sensitive areas and you need proof of the cause of death in plants.

Noah’s time in New Zealand

By Noah Hammond

Hi, I'm Noah. I arrived in NZ around 5 months ago on a working holiday visa, with the plan to travel and explore the country, while doing a little work to fund the experience. I stumbled upon FuturEcology through a temporary work agency, and they have been fantastic to work for during my time here! They've been very welcoming and extremely flexible, allowing me to travel as much as I like!

My previous employment in the UK was as a groundsman/handyman on a large, traditional country estate, with gardens, woodland and several unique properties. The work FuturEcology carries out on a day-to-day basis felt familiar and enjoyable to me, but also new. Their approach to most land management techniques was new to me and meant I was able to learn a large amount. Although I've learnt so much from the team at FuturEcology, my main takeaway from my time here is the ability to work with the land and the ecosystems that are critical to the environment surrounding us.

When I return to England, I am very excited to take everything I've learnt and incorporate it into the estate and other farms and properties I am involved in. I personally believe the attitude of being part of the environment around you and working with it, rather than fighting it is critical. Being able to apply this into the real world, just as FuturEcology does, is what I aspire to do on my return.

Overall, I've had an amazing time in New Zealand, and I can't thank the team at FuturEcology enough for welcoming me and including me with the usual friendly KIWI way!

Weed of the Month

Beggar’s ticks – Bidens frondosa

By Evelyn Nashiro

This is a tall upright annual, up to 2 m tall, with deeply divided leaves, yellow button-like flowers and characteristic flat black seeds with two barbed teeth, which easily attach to clothing and hair, faciliting its dispersal, making it a weed to watch for.

Beggar’s tick thrives in water body margins, swamps, damp waste places and low-lying areas.

This plant is abundant in the northern and eastern North Island, and is scattered elsewhere in the North Island and northern South Island as far south as Westland and Christchurch.

It can cause skin irritation, especially if you come into contact with the sap.

Information and pictures taken from New Zealand Plant Conservation Network.

The team at FuturEcology has been controlling Beggar’s tick in a planting site in Nelson. When the Beggar’s tick are in the juvenile stage, it is very easy to pull them without leaving the roots in the ground. However, as you will see in the pictures below, when the plant is in the mature stage, we recommend the cut and paste method to stop the plant resprouting.

Pictures of mature Beggar’s tick taken by FuturEcology.

Introducing E-Lite Guards

By Emma Fryer

While we continue to advocate for EmGuards—whose effectiveness and quality have been thoroughly proven—we understand that budget constraints can sometimes influence decision-making.

With this in mind, we are introducing the E-Lite Guard, a lighter-grade option made from a laminated and coated board. Designed for simplicity, it eliminates unnecessary flaps and slots that can compromise structural integrity (sometimes found in other lower cost options), offering a cost-effective yet reliable solution.

The E-Lite Guard will be available for the 2025 planting season. If you're interested in learning more, please get in touch to register your interest.

Buy EmGuard ™ now

Plants are thriving at Challies Island Wetland!

By Evelyn Nashiro

Last year, the FuturEcology team planted 39,000 native plants at Challies Island Wetland. This project seeks to naturalise a wetland, following gravel extraction alongside the Waimea River.

One year after planting the first aquatic rushes around the wetland's littoral margin, we are feeling so proud to see how the plants are thriving. Despite the rocky soil and drought conditions we had at the beginning of the project (we can still hear the noise of the rocks being hit by the bars), plants are growing really well. Sometimes we can’t believe the amount of work we have done around the wetland! All the effort and hours of work dedicated to this project are highlighted in the results now, and we are feeling so pleased about the results.

First plants at Marsden Valley Planting Project

By Evelyn Nashiro

This week we planted the first 2000 native plants of the year! We have been working hard at Marsden Valley during the summer, preparing the site for these plants. We were looking forward to putting the first plants of the season in the ground.

The client needed this batch of native plants in place before April, as part of their Resource Consent (they have promised to water them). This gave us a challenging start, as we had to dig and plant on the banks while the soil was still very dry. We are very proud of the progress we have made so far, and we are getting ready for the next batch of native plants to be planted during winter.

Interesting Snippets

What we’ve been Watching:

By Jan Fryer

I recently had the pleasure of seeing the New Zealand movie “Tinā”.

The reviewers are saying that it is one of the most powerful films they have seen in years and I would agree with them whole heartedly.

It is the story of Mareta Percival, a Samoan teacher, struggling with grief after the impact of the Christchurch earthquake.

The earthquake sets the scene for the story and its ongoing impact in the community, especially on shaping the emotional and psychological struggles of many of the characters.

She reluctantly takes on the role of a substitute teacher at a prestigious private school in Christchurch. However, despite the sense of privilege in the school, she finds an underlying sense of trauma in many of the students. It also sensitively explores some of the cultural and societal tensions which she copes with on a daily basis.

It was a very emotional journey, with moments of despair and humour, which enhanced the whole movie experience for me.

The characters were relatable and real and the music in the film was magnificent, as the basis of the story is the formation of a choir in the school.

I definitely recommend adding it to your list of must-see movies.

Conclusion:

By Jan Fryer

Life is indeed a journey.

It has been quite a month since we sent out the last newsletter.

I lost my mother, after she had a long battle with the dreadful disease of dementia. However, she had a full and interesting life and seized opportunities whenever they presented themselves.

The movie Tinā reinforced to me the importance of community and hope. Trauma is often hidden under many layers, and each of us is making our own journey. But by doing something positive, like singing together in the case of the movie Tinā or planting trees together for the betterment of our environment, we are creating our own little rays of hope in very tumultuous times.

Keep up the great work everyone.

If you have any projects in mind and would like to talk further, give us a call or pop in and see us.

We look forward to hearing from you!