A strong interest and love of trees, and the aesthetics and sense of place they bring, are what motivates Meg Gaddum and Bob Wishart to continue planting.

The 2013 North Island Farm Foresters of the Year will share that enthusiasm and their knowledge with others when they host the Gisborne East Coast Farm Forestry field day on Wednesday, February 19.

During the last 30 years, more than 100 hectares of forest has been planted on their 880 hectare medium to steep hill country property. Seventy hectares are of pine blocks and the remainder are small blocks of Cupressus lusitanica, C. macrocarpa, Acacia Melanoxylon, Douglas Fir, Eucalyptus muelleriana, E. globoidea, choosing tree species to suit each site.

The plantings have been mostly for conservation and farm management purposes, protecting soils, preventing obvious and potential deep erosion movements and making the farm easier to muster and manage. The aim has been to future-proof the land capabilities, moving the farm towards an integrated system of farming and forestry, matching activity to the best land use, while also improving the visual landscape.

The field day is at Te Koawa Station, 1131 Whakarau Rd (off SH2 north of Te Karaka, Gisborne). Bring lunch. Phone 06 862 3418, email: [email protected]