FORESTRY TRAINING

StoryStory: Louise Belay

Opposite: Tree pruning is part of the learning for Raglan-based arboriculture students. Left and above: Tawera Riki doing his practical chainsaw assessment.

Story: Louise Belay

THE AROMATIC SMELL OF A LAMB

stew on the stove and the comforting sound of potatoes being mashed for lunch is a warm welcome to the site of Wintec’s newest teaching space at the Kōkiri Centre in Whaingaroa, Raglan.

About 250 metres away, the sound of chainsaws cutting into the gnarly old pines by the beach is a sign the Arboriculture Level 3 class is getting a practical lesson from their tutor, Nooti Waho (Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Tongoiti).

Waho says, “The pine area is starting to get out of hand. There is pine regeneration, a bit of gorse and the property owners want more recreational area. On the students’ chainsaw practical days, we are selecting trees to remove and trees to remain to encourage an environment for native restoration. As the native trees start establishing, more pines can be removed in the future, giving the area diversity and character.”

Waho, who grew up in Taupō where he gained his forestry experience, loves it here at the Kōkiri Centre. He completed Level 5 Arboriculture at Wintec in 2020 after two years as an adult student, winning a 2019 Wintec Adult Learner Award on the way. Now he works for Wintec, supporting Arboriculture tutors, John Woolford, Dan Goodman and Jonathan Summers in Raglan.

“Tree identification, tree pruning, and tree health are the more important aspects of arboriculture, and Level 3 gives our students an introduction to these disciplines,” says Waho.

“Our arboriculture students need to be competent chainsaw operators before they venture into climbing, pruning and tree care. That’s where I can help, and I am honoured to be part of their learning experience, kia ora.”

Waho says arboriculture is physically demanding and as the students have progressed through their first semester, moving from chainsaw training to tree care and climbing, they’ve encountered something they may not have expected: “They’re telling us this course has been a major life change for them, and their lives are better for it.”

Waho splits his time between tutoring in Raglan, working as an arboriculturist and teaching chainsaw safety and use to Industry Training Organisations (ITOs). As a recent graduate, he knows first-hand how tough it can be to be a student and there is a real sense of whānau and community in this group.

“They have a long day, and there is a lot to learn, so once a week we have a shared lunch to get everyone together.”

Waho has supplied the meat for the main course.

“I pruned my aunty and uncle’s plum trees and they gave me a sheep. The chops are now in the pot,” he smiles. “Johnny, who is on kitchen duty today, was working on a cruise ship before he joined us, and I asked him if he could make an Irish stew. He knew what I meant straight away.

It’s lunchtime and the stew is ready. The ute and trailer are loaded up with chainsaws and safety gear, and the group make its way to the kitchen.

“Don’t forget my pine stool,” calls out one of the students. She has fashioned a four-legged stool from a pine stump during chainsaw practice and it goes on the tray too.

Raglan students were quick to take

Above left: Nooti Waho, a Wintec Level 5 Arboriculture graduate has returned to teach at Wintec’s new delivery site at the Kōkiri Centre at Te Kōpua in Raglan.

Above right: Nooti Waho (front left) with students, Wintec staff and community partners at a whakatau (welcome) for the commencement of the new Arboriculture L3 programme at Whāingaroa ki te whenua Kōkiri Centre.

up the opportunity of free arboriculture training this year. The class of 12 is full, with an even mix of male and female. Waho says it’s good to see more females in the arboriculture industry. They are all engaged and keen to learn.

The first cohort of students is at Level 3, basic arboriculture and they have the option to progress to Level 4 in the second semester from July this year, to qualify as an arborist. At Level 5, arborists learn technical and supervisory skills and there is also a Level 6 diploma.

Fast forward to the end of the semester and Nooti says they are all doing well. Only one student has left the course and three have gained employment locally. Two other students have been inspired to start their own business once they qualify.

The Kōkiri Centre at Te Kōpua is on land that was famously returned by the Government to iwi in 1983, thanks to Māori land rights activist, Tuaiwa (Eva) Rickard. The former golf course is framed by the sea and the estuary, and for some years, Te Kōpua has been the site of a camping ground which has funded improvements to the site.

Wintec now offers free Level 3 Horticulture, Landscape Construction and Arboriculture courses at the Kōkiri Centre on Riria Kereopa Drive. NZL

Starting young

TOKOMAIRIRO HIGH SCHOOL AT

Milton has taken on board the fact that forestry is a great career prospect in the Otago region and sees no need to wait until pupils have passed school age to formally train in forestry skills.

Tokomairiro offers NZQA Unit Standards to learners working towards NCEA Levels 1 and 2, as well as an option to gain a Forestry Qualification, which includes up to 40 credits at Level 3.

There are three programme pathways: 1. A Forestry Pathways Course for senior students still enrolled in school. 2. A youth Guarantee Course for school leavers aged 16-19. 3. An Alternative Education programme for those under 16 who have disengaged at school.

As well as delivering standards on site, Tokomairiro offers practical components and supports students into work experience while assisting with applications for suitable employment.

The programme is supported by the Forest Growers Levy Trust.

This past year, during the COVID lockdown, the students worked on knowledge unit standards for pruning and planting through distance learning.

Tokomairiro is supported by practical interaction visits to local forest companies –City Forests, Ernslaw One and Wenita Forest Products.

Wenita CEO, Dave Cormack, says it’s difficult to get skilled machine operators and silviculture contractors, particularly pruners, in Otago and Southland.

“This course certainly helps to de-mystify the industry and debunk some of the misconceptions which parents so often have about safety, professionalism and career opportunities for young people in the industry,” says Dave. “Alistair McKenzie, the course tutor, still works in the forest and has a good network of industry contacts and his experience and knowledge feeds into the content of each course.”

Dave says the courses provide the experience for a range of forest operations and further training opportunities during the course. Some of the participants may decide to move into silviculture or harvesting work when they leave secondary school. Others might consider further forestry education at polytech or university, or go into farming.

Stanley Moko (18), trainee from the 2020 Tokomairiro Forestry Pathways course, is already reaping the benefits:

“When I completed the course, I was able to look at all the job opportunities the forestry industry has to offer and gain a broad knowledge of the forest areas of trees grown in the Otago / Southland area.

“I found that the skills gained were suited to silviculture and I was able to improve on my planting, pruning, thinning and general chainsaw skills on this course. As a result I was able to get a full-time sustainable job with a contract forestry crew and will move from pruning to planting in a couple of months.

“I like the close team atmosphere and friendship. It’s great!

“After planting, I will be able to move to a thinning crew to get more experience in that field. Also, I am working towards a National Certificate in pruning of which I already have some modules from the course.

“As well as gaining full-time work for myself, my stepfather is going to gain employment from the same contractor. He has the skills but is out of work.” First published in the NZFOA Bulletin.