Tree Gods Unite

A ceremony to form a “sister-tree relationship” between Waipoua Forest’s Tane Mahuta and an ancient Japanese cedar tree located on Yakushima Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was held this month at the base of the giant kauri. The project was launched by the New Zealand Tourism Board which hopes that by linking large and ancient trees, a message of forest preservation will spread. Tane Mahuta belongs to the Araucariaceae family of conifers. It is 51 metres tall and has a trunk girth of 13.8 metres. It is believed to be between 1200 and 2500 years old.