Sixteen years of service at Aongatete Forest Project

We recently said farewell to Nigel Williams from our board of trustees - we’d like to publicly thank him for his wonderful contribution to the project over a remarkable number of years Nigel took the time to pen his thoughts on his tenure as a volunteer and the changes he has witnessed

“I attended my first volunteer work day at the forest in June 2006 I had recently retired from a forestry career in Rotorua and joined the Katikati Rotary Club Trustee Campbell Babington persuaded me that my assistance was required. I was ready to acquaint myself with native forest in the area

“40 new volunteers turned up to install the first 100 prototype home-made bait stations on the brand new stringmarked gridlines which had been set out over the preceding weeks, over 180 hectares, by contracted polytechnic students We worked from a horse-float trailer, which was stored down Wright Road and parked in the (then unsealed) car park on work days Much, if not all, of the forest, was in a shocking state of decay, birds largely absent and undergrowth very sparse in most places It has been estimated that at least 60% of the carbon stored in our formerly healthy forests has been lost to the atmosphere

“AFP founder Basil Graeme soon also commandeered me to help prepare several applications to the Regional Council and the Lotteries Commission for continuing funding. In 2010 I was asked to join the board of trustees and about a year later took over from Gordon Walker as Treasurer for the next six years When our founding Chairman, John Howard, died in 2014, I agreed to act as interim Chair until I helped persuade Barbara