Newsletter No. 7 September 2025

Posted on September 04, 2025

Hope everyone has had a successful planting season. Winter has bought us a mixed bag, starting with warmer than normal conditions in June - August, with some regions getting more of their fair share of rainfall, including the storm events in Tasman. These storm events highlight the need for trees that can stabilise these environments. Poplars and willows are well placed with their large root mass, ability to grow quick, and they provide a relatively cheap option to protect our landscapes.

Welcome Jacquie

The NZPWRT are delighted to welcome Jacquie Harper to the Board. She brings a wealth of experience in governance, research, and stakeholder engagement across the environmental and primary industry sectors. With a strong background in working alongside industry, rural communities, and both local and central government, Jacquie is passionate about turning smart research into practical tools and solutions that support land-use management in New Zealand. Based in Lower Hutt, Jacquie’s expertise will be a real asset to our work.

Willows for Managing River Edges

Willows are extensively used along New Zealand riverbanks as a soft engineering tool to manage erosion, protect assets and support ecosystems. They:

establish easily
are fast-growing
provide quick erosion control
absorb floodwaters
create vegetated buffer zones
provide a flexible boundary between river and community
have ecological and habitat benefits
are dynamic, adaptable and resilient

Common River Management Activities Using Willows:

flood damage repair - fast-growing willows offer immediate regrowth
live groynes - anchored or trenched willow trees guide water flow
pole planting and transplants - reclaim and stabilise river channels
layering and topping - strengthen banks and promote dense growth
slow berm velocities - reduce flow speed near banks
riparian planting - maintain biodiversity and landscape health

Key message: Maintenance
Regular management ensures willows continue to:

Thrive and function effectively
avoid overgrowth or obstruction
support long-term river health and protection

River edge protection from layering

Upright trenching

Batter, anchored trench

Timber uses for Poplar

At this year’s Field Days, we had plenty of enquiries about what to do with the older poplar trees. One option worth considering is timber?

Poplar is and incredibly versatile wood, offering some great benefits:

Fast drying - air-dried with 15-20 mm (square) fillets, it can reduce 20% moisture in just 3-4 weeks.
Splinter free and smooth - ideal for furniture, toys and cooking utensils.
Strong and resilient - great for truck decking and farm structures, absorbing impact.

Why would you consider milling your own trees?

cost effective - cheaper than buying timber
custom sizing - mill to your exact needs
Proven durability - no splitting or pre-drilling needed
Better nail-holding - holds fast, even under pressure

While ideally pruned leaders yield more clearwood, most of the tree can be used for a wide range of purposes. Smaller logs are perfect for battens, and other parts can be milled for various projects. Check out our videos online around timber use.

Note: Not all poplars cultivars have had their wood density tested, but we’ve included a few examples for reference below.

Celebrating excellence in Farm Forestry… 24 September 2025

NZPWRT is proud to have Stan Braaksma - the 2025 North Island Farm Forester of the Year, along with his wife Jenny, serving as a Trustee on our Board.

To mark this well-deserved recognition, Stan and Jenny are hosting a field days on Wednesday 24 September between 1 - 5pm.

Two locations:

Oval Forest - an exceptional 30-year-old radiata pine forest near Tinui, currrently being harvested. Learn about the long-term management strategies from Stan and insights from the Forest360 harvesting team.
Motuiti - explore Stan and Jenny’s home woodlot of cypresses and poplar clones.

The day ends with a BBQ hosted by the Wairarapa Farm Forestry Association.

Bring high-viz for the harvesting site.

RSVP to Harriet Palmer at harriet.e.palmer@gmail.com

NZARM CONFERENCE - Changing Landscapes

11-13 November 2025
Blenheim, Marlborough

Registrations are open, and looks to be a pretty exciting programme. To read more about the conference and to register visit the conference website.

This is an opportunity to bring together practitioners, scientists, iwi representatives, council staff and industry leaders to share ideas, showcase innovation and strengthen connections across the sector. NZARM is currently offering a 25% discount on conference registration for anyone in these roles. To get the discount you need to:

an NZARM member. Annual membership provides year-round access to the professional network, resources and events.
applies to the full conference registration at the member rate
Membership fees are additional if not already a member
The conference dinner is not included.

Note: NZPWRT will be there hosting a Masterclass with our new decision support tools.

Showcasing… Crowsnest (poplar)

‘Crowsnest’ is a backcross between a P. euramericana hybrid and p. nigra and was released in 1994.

‘Crownest’ has a narrow form, with numerous side branches on a very steep angle. This lends itself to being used as a shelterbelt in horticultural situations or elsewhere. It requires little or no side trimming.

‘Crowsnest’ has low-moderate rust and anthracnose resistance and is palatable to possums.

‘Crowsnest’ leaves are smaller and rounder than other P. euramericana hybrids, with a leaf base that tapers towards the leaf tip. They flush dark reddish-bronze in mid-late September, maturing to dark green on the upper surface and light green below, with a red midrib.