Kaikōmako manawa tāwhi (Pennantia baylisiana) returned to iwi
One of the world’s rarest trees has potentially been saved from extinction and returned to its rohe.
Pennantia baylisiana, once in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s rarest tree, was successfully propagated by scientists in the 1980s and then grown on to produce hundreds of saplings – reducing its risk of extinction. Manaaki Whenua partnered with Canterbury Museum to purchase and return more than 200 saplings to Ngāti Kuri, who planted them around Ngātaki, close to 90 Mile Beach. Ngāti Kuri executive director Sheridan Waitai likens the return of the taonga to an intergenerational journey. ‘It’s hugely significant in the sense that it’s part of our identity and it’s also about how we restore and revitalise our whenua… Continue Reading (3 minute read)