Nicola Toki, chief executive of Forest & Bird NZ, was in Hawke’s Bay recently to help celebrate the 100th Anniversary of this vital organisation.
She had seen the cyclone devastation in our region and reminded members of all the HB F&B branches, gathered for the birthday party, of the historical precursors of Cyclone Gabrielle.
She made the comment that “humans are slow learners” and gave the example of the appeal made by Captain Val Sanderson during New Zealand’s parliamentary election in November 1935. His concerns were NZ’s loss of soil-protecting forests, the ultimate futility of flood protective works in the lower reaches of waterways, and a key villain … deer.
As he put it: “The usual procedure to prevent flood damage in New Zealand is at the wrong end.”
Here’s the open letter he sent to all candidates in 1935 in his role as President of The Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand.
Honoured on the day was David Belcher, a legend in these parts for his conservation work, receiving F&B’s highest recognition, the Ti Kōuka Award. The award recognises members who have made exceptional contributions to advancing Forest & Bird’s objectives locally and regionally.
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Mr Sanderson surely knew what he was talking about (in 1935)….we are still waiting for the corresponding action :((