Myco-restoration Research Project - Hokianga Harbourcare

This is a collaborative research project undertaken jointly with other members of Kaitiakitanga Network and a number of other partners that is being pioneered through Hokianga Harbourcare operations, where they are building facilities which will allow them to run residential workshops on Mycorestoration and other area.

(It was listed as a spin off activity associated with the Hokianga Harbourcare Collective applications to the Sustainable Management Fund (2006 and 2007) for their innovative catchment restoration programme. (This was not funded - The $3.84m Government allocated to this fund was inadequate to cover applications around of $28 M for direct funding that would have allowed many communities and others to leverage with their own energy and resources - restoration value totalling many times this government investment )

This project started with us meeting world mushroom and fungi guru Paul Stamets at the Sustainable Resources conference in Colorado 2004 which got us all thinking.

In March 2007 Randal Stensness from Hokianga Harbourcare attended a seminar on mushroom cultivation with him in Oregon US which was leveraged off a Kiwi Youth Voice learning journey he made with a contingent to San Francisco. Randal returned with copies of Paul's latest book "Mycelium Running" for some of our members.

VIDEO - Check out some of Paul's work here on U-Tube

Seven ways mushrooms can help save the world ( TED)

Mysteries of Mycology (Paul at Bioneers 2007)
How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World
Paul Stamets - Bioremediation with Fungi
Paul Stamets - 1999 Psychoactivity Conference in Amsterdam

Gasworks Bio-remediation (petrochemical)
Service Station Remediation ( some other techniques)

Common Gound's Bioremediation Project (Making Gardens safe -eg from lead)

Paul's latest Book "Mycelium Running" is available here in NZ at Touchwood Books at a cost of NZ $85

We thank the Lottery Ministers Discretionary Fund for helping Randal get to Paul's Mycoremediation Seminar on 7-8 n Lopez Island.

The objective is for Randal to bring back as a much information as possible, share it with all members of the Kaitiakitanga network and beyond, so we can start doing some practical research and restoration action in the field.

Randal on his last trip (see report) greatly impressed all those he met and the connections he has made on behalf of the Kaitiakitanga Network has set the scene for a reciprocal visit by Paul Stamets and others to NZ before long. This trip will increase the chances of that visit happening.

If anyone needs to see what Randal and others are doing at Hokianga Harbourcare, watch them on video at the end of the Hunter Lovins Smart Environment Forum or listen to their Greenplanet FM radio interview.

What is Mycorestoration about and what the outcomes for us could be?

MycorestorationSM is the use of fungi to help repair or restore ecologically harmed habitats. Whether the habitats have been damaged from human activities or natural disasters, saprophytic and mycorrhizal fungi can help steer the course to recovery. MycorestorationSM encompasses the use of fungi for filtration of water (mycofiltration), the breakdown of toxic wastes (mycoremediation), and use of fungi for empowering ecoforestry strategies (mycoforestry). This two day intensive workshop will discuss the current practices, evaluation of strategies, and choice of the appropriate fungal candidates for MycorestorationSM (See seminar flyer and Mycotechnology page for some possible applications)

Some areas where we think our Kaitiakitanga network partners may get direct benefits from this are: View their letters of support for this initiative.

Hokianga Harbourcare - greatly improved riparian strip planting performance and filtering / detoxifying waterways

Raglan - Whaingaroa Harbourcare - as above, Kaiwhenua Organics etc - Garden / composting performance

Whirinaki / Minginui - Detoxification of old sawmill and forestry compound sites see govt report

Ruatorea - Erosion control, replanting stability and and water quality improvements

In all other areas, agricultural run off and discharge, stream restoration, lake water improvement and sewerage / nutrient capture benefits could be achieved.

There is much yet to be learnt about this easily applied natural technology, which is a key to understanding many of the invisible underground workings and self healing secrets of mother Earth. This allows us to learn to work with Papatuanuku, not against it. Even more it opens up work, economic and life possibilities for our rural areas particularly for our youth who are forced to leave for the cities, distorting the local demographics, diluting a strong culture and depriving communities of the ability to develop strong leadership for the future.

Mushroom / Laboratory facilities at Hokianga Harbourcare premises Whirinaki, Hokianga

Hokianga Harbourcare has underway a building that will house a fungi research and propagation. The main facilities required include a laboratory with ultra fine air filters, pressurisation fans and double doors to keep foreign particle pollutants out. That is where the fungi strains are grown. The other requirement is a mushroom growing sheds where conditions are not so critical. We are looking for the likes of agricultural greenhouses, construction site office modules or similar buildings to convert. If you know anyone who can help with something appropriate please call us: Randal Stensness Ph 09 404 4815.

Support partners required for this operation.

We have contacted Peter Buchanan of Landcare Research Auckland (ph 09 5744166) who deals in Fungi research to give us some scientific backup. He has also pointed us to the following people who may be able to assist.

Tim Thornewell of Mushroom Gourmet, Rawini, Hokianga http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~mushspor/ (ph
Rebekah Fuller - Te Rarawa now at Hawai University research in Maori uses of fungi etc
James Doherty - Te Whaiti, involved with forest species research etc
James Waiwai - Tuai, involved with forest fungi and Kiwi research

We also have obtained a copy of Pauls book Mycellium Running for the likes of Earl Rewi, Andy Blick and Claud August who are involved with DOC species recovery and other projects in Whirinaki Forest and can observe fungi activity abd species. They are in the bush almost daily, watching indicator species etc. See Kiwi Weka Kaka Robin Blueduck Falcon pages.

Malibu Hamilton and Fred Litchwart (Hokianga Harbourcare) will be the contact points for the Whaingaroa (Raglan) Community, and at Ruatoria it will be Tui Warmenhoven of the Taonga Tuku Iho Research Project there. They have recently been awarded Sustainable Management funding for nursery and replanting operations.

Much of the science used by Paul Stamets is rooted in the deep observation of nature and its interconnections, which relates to the Wholistic Maori world view. In addition to this for any projects involving water filtering, toxin remediation etc, some conventional scientific analysis and evaluation of before and after conditions will be required. We expect to collaborate with the likes of NIWA, Landcare Research, MfE, Regional Authorities and University Research Projects for this.

Please note: This is a low risk / low technology project that involves only the use of fungi species already naturally occurring in each local area (particularly native forests) to assist revegetation and more appropriate land use.

The commitment we needed to help bring this to NZ.

In 2007 searching for support we made initial contact with people at MfE (Amanda Turner / Lucy Green, SMF) , Env Northland (Bob Cathcart / Clair Nyberg / Bruce Griffin), Env Waikato(David Spears), Env BOP (Bruce Gardiner), Gisborne DC (Mel Nichols) and Landcare Research (Peter Buchanan), and more recently FNDC (Phil Grimshaw / Tania McInnes) all of whom are organisations and communities that will benefit directly from any positive outcomes of this program. Despite strong verbal support then for the initiative from all the parties concerned , the timeframe for getting this funding allocated though existing processes was too long.

We sucessfully applied for funding to allow Randal to attend the Mycorestoration Seminar on 7-8 June 2008. As an attendee at the pre-requisite Mushroom Cultivation Seminar in 2007 he is probably the only Kiwi able to do this. (Paul Stamets currently only runs these once per year).

Following this he will also spend six weeks on an interrnship with the Community Trust on Lopez Island in Washington State, working with people in mycorestoration, environmental programs, organics, local industry development, education, health , sustainable housing, sustainable agriculture and rural development to reinforce his learning and bring home their experience.

Itinerary:

Wed 4 June - AirNZ 008 depart 7.30 pm arrive San Fran 12.45 pm relax in San Fran - meet Next Now group
Frid 6 June - AirNZ 9740 (United Airlines) depart 4.02pm arrive Seattle Tacoma 6.01 pm
Frid 6 June - Capital Aeroporter Shuttle www.capair.com (baggage claim level) dep 7.10 pm drops Little Creek Hotel
Sat 7 June - Fungi Perfecti Mycorestoration Seminar - Stay at Little Creek Hotel
Sun 8 June - Fungi Perfecti Seminar - Shuttle to Seattle - stay with David Socha in Seattle for morning Ferry
Mon 9 June - Ferry to Lopez from Friday Harbour (timetable) - met by Sandy and Rhea for internship
Tue 15 July - Ferry to Seattle - bus to Seatle Tacoma Airport
Tue 15 July - AirNZ 9729 (United Airlines) depart 1.25pm arrive San Fran 3.36 pm
Tue 15 July - AirNZ 007 depart 9.15pm arrives Auckland 5.30 am Thursday 17 July

Sharing this Information

On his return we proposed that Randal travel to key parts of the country (see below) in August to informally share what he learnt with the Kaitiakiatanga Network, local schools and other interested parties. See references from our members and partners in support of this.

We have not been able to find funding to support this travel, so instead, all are welcome to attend experiential learning / sharing workshops that will be available at the facility in Whirinaki, Hokianga from August onwards.

If you would like to help make it possible for other low income communities doing positive environmental restoration work to attend these workshops in Hokianga, please contact us - Randal Stensness, Will Stensness, or Sandra Moore, Hokianga Harbourcare, 791A State Highway 12, Whirinaki, Hokianga, Northland. ph 09 4058415, email hokiangaharbourcare@hotmail.com

Web Resources:

Paul Stamets Fungi perfecti site remediation page http://www.fungi.com/mycotech/index.html
Ted St John's site at www.mycorrhiza.org
Australian CSIRO site on Mycoorhiza http://www.ffp.csoro.au/research/mycorrhiza/ecm.html
UK fungi site resource http://www.fungus.org.uk/ with many links http://fungus.org.uk/nwfg/nwfglink.htm
Cornell University Mycology Virtual Links http://mycology.cornell.edu/findex.html
The Hidden Forest - A NZ site by Clive Shirley to help identify forest species http://www.hiddenforest.co.nz/index.htm
The Kaimai Bush - an NZ forest interpretation by Shirley Kerr - an ex science teacher http://www.kaimaibush.co.nz/
Inoculum Newsletter Article - Sampling Canopy Soils in NZ http://www.msafungi.org/55(4).pdf

When searching the web try these alternative names Mycorrhiza, Mycorrhysae, Mycelium, Mycology

THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, SO ACCESS IT REGULARLY TO GET UPDATED INFO.

Start Date: March 2007
Expected Completion: ongoing through 2008

Budget:

Note: The trip made by Randall to the prerequisite seminar last year is reported here with costs

A. Randal's Trip for Stamets Mycorestoration Seminar 7-8 June 2008 and internment on Lopez Island from 9th June - 15th July (Budgetary based on 2007 trip costs, see )

Return Airfares to San Francisco + insurance nz depart 4th June return 15 July
Return Airfare Leg to SETAC Airport, Seattle plus Taxes and Levies nz $ 2613 + $95 *
Travel Insurance NZ$ 327*
Return Transport to Olympia Shuttle US $40 nz $100 *
Accommodation 3 nights Little Creek Hotel, Olympia (US $110 plus meals $40 per night) nz$ 600 *
Stamets Seminar fee (US $750) plus textbooks (US$100) 6-7 June 2008 nz $1140 *

Travel to Lopez Island local busses and Ferry US $80.00 NZ $100 *

Youth internship on Lopez Island Community Trust, Washington State, working with people in mycorestoration, environmental programs, organics, local industry development, education, health , sustainable housing, sustainable agriculture and rural development to reinforce learning. 9 June - 15 July (No direct cost for this)

Daily Allowance accom (backpacker rates) / food, Misc local travel, expenses 40 days @$US 40 nz$ 2000

Provisional sum to allow visits to participate in learning opportunities in the local USA area ~~NZ$ 1500~~

TOTAL FOR US COMPONENT ~~$8475~~ $6995

*Thanks to The Lottery Ministers Discretionary Lottery fund for covering the travel and accommodation and fee for the Stamets Seminar - total approved 14th May 08 $4975. Randal and his whanau have personally covered the outstanding costs.

B. Proposed Sharing hui with Randal run in Whirinaki (Northland), Auckland- Landcare Research etc) Raglan, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Te Whaiti, Ruatorea, Auckland, and other places over a period of three weeks Aug 08

These workshops and venues were to be organised advertised and hosted by the local members of the Kaitiakitanga Network and others in each area.
(Any koha given by or from participant fees will go to Hokianga Harbourcare to support the growth of their operations as a national centre of excellence in mycorestoration, sharing resources for all)

Hire of Rental car with insurance 4 weeks $29 per Day (first week in Northland) $812

Daily allowance for fuel, accommodation, food etc over this period 21 days @ $70 nz $1470

Stamets Book - "Mycelium Running" 10 Copies to distribute @ US 35 NZ $437.50

Misc Documentation / handouts / printing / expenses $nz 300

Network promotion for national huis - employing someone to do mailouts etc Budget nz $1000

TOTAL FOR NZ SHARING HUI $4019.50

Funding to do this is not available to us so at this time so it will be replaced by inviting interested parties to workshops at Hokianga in August 2008.

Watch this space - There will be ongoing opportunities for people to provide Koha (in time, energy, resources and money) to individual local restoration projects, some of which will flow from this project.

Progress Log

Date	Details of event or action	By
Oct 04	Members of our team met Paul Stamets at Sustainable Resources, Colorado (Private funding)
10-11 Mar 07	Managed to get Randal to the Stamets Mushroom Cultivation Seminar, leveraging on his involvement with the Kiwi Youth Voice Learning Journey to US. (This is part of a youth application to cabinet for support for their role in the Digital Earth conference in June - remains outstanding).
22 May	Secured last place for Randal ( provisionally) on Stamets Mycorestoration Seminar in USA 9-10 june
23 May	Made connections with Landcare Research ( Peter Buchanan) Fungi Team - strong interest in working with Hokianga Harbourcare and others on the Kaitiakitanga Network to start applying this
24 May	Enquired with MFE (Lucy Green) about funding to help with this - orally advised none was available
25 May	Prepared this project brief and solicited support from Regional Councils and all others involved
25 May	Got response from all councils that they strongly supported the concept and opportunity, but their internal procedures prevented them for providing the requested funding support in the timeframe.
25 May	Got response from Landcare Research that they see the value and want to work closely with this project, but funding support would require them going thorough official application processes.
25 May	Awaiting Official response to this formal proposal from Ministry for Environment
25 May	RED FLAG - this opportunity in jeopardy due to lack of funds and official support to support the good intentions and enthusiasm of all the operational people in all agencies approached . ACTION - Widen public awareness via media to open to individuals able to support this financially
25 May	Made contact with Far North District Council (Tania McInnes) to see if they have Youth Leadership / Community Development funding to support this
25 May	Made contact with Landcare Trust , Federated Farmers Waikato, Ag- Research and others
26 May	Asked Paul Stamets to please extend the booking confirmation deadline until Wed 30th (US time)
26 May	Contacted Chris Laidlaw re the possibility please of raising this on this Sunday's National Radio
26 May	Contacted the "Campbell Live" team re our desperate need please for public support to get Randal to the Seminar and other action to help get this wider program of local community learning, research and sharing that could result in this natural technology being applied for the benefit of our environment and all our future grandchildrens.
27 May	Revised budget - The costs of the first seminar trip to the Digital Earth Youth Voice are covered in another Youth Voice Application so are not included here. Also the HHCC budget to establish basic research and propagation facilities have been increased.
28 May	Advice re support sought from the Sustainability Advisor - Dept of PM And Cabinet (Mark Dacombe) who pointed us to Senior Management at Ministry for the Environment (Hugh Logan - CEO / Lindsay Gow / Fiona Morgan and Cameron Sherley)
29 May	Email back from MfE (Cameron Sherley) on behalf of all the above, saying they cannot contribute ..., but wishing us well, hoping that we will keep them and other agencies informed of this approach, and hoping that this does not jeopardise the opportunity for Randal .....
30 May	The time is obviously not right for Government and local bodies to share in the sustainability journey with innovative and proactive communities who can make a difference, matching the new rhetoric of our PM and politicians. It is very painful to have to release the booking for Randal at the Seminar and replan now for the next one one year away
31 May	Red Flag - Draw this lack of support for natural technology to Government Agencies who carry the liability for many millions of toxic and other remediation on sites left by past non sustainable activity.
21 Aug	Peter Goldsbury met with Cameron Sherley and Bruce Croucher (Toxic sites) MfE Wellington re support for community based remediation etc. Govt approval has been given to start on the Whirinaki Decontamination project.
18 Mar 08	Commenced an application with the DIA Ministers Discretionary fund to allow Randal to attend the Mycorestoration seminar June, then return to share this with our Kiwi communities.
18 Apr 08	Funding application submitted, including provision for covering the cost of public sharing Hui run by Randal around New Zealand organised by local Kaitiakitanga network partners. See references of support from them. Expecting a decision by May 16th
8 May 08	Had to book to guarantee Randal's place on the Mycorestoration Workshop with Paul Stamets.
14 May 98	Thanks to Minister's Discretionary Lottery fund for $4975 to cover attending Stamets Seminar we were disappointed that this fund could not also include the direct living expenses for Randal on Lopez Island or the sharing trip on his return
14 May 08	Contacting other agencies to try to ensure that the Sharing Hui can take place on his return in August.
18 May 08	Feedback from others on the Kaitiakitanga network wishing Randal well and confirming that if the funding is not available for the sharing trip, they to not expect him to do this at his own expense.
25 June 08	Advised by the Lottery Environment and Culture Fund that we were inelible for the funding we applied for to support the sharing of what Randal learnt on his return to NZ.
June 08	Instead, interested people are invited to sharing workshops in Hokianga
Aug 08	Contacted by Liz Dunigan, a designer in the commercial building industry Seattle, about large scale bioremediation / restoration in an old industrial area in Ballard - passed to K network

NOTICES AND ACHIEVEMENTS:

Our gift to you - download our Free Whirinaki Wall Calendar

"Re-designing our future" youth forum with Michael Braungart - 30 Aug

What Andree a sustainability writer discovered about Kaitiakitanga
Check out our school's Energy Monitoring / Weatherstation project
WEMZ - The Whirinaki Ecological Restoration Zone - a project with DOC
Building our new visitor information kiosk on the main road
Take a photo tour through our valley see restoration work needed
Pending - our Whirinaki Centre, Nursary and Recycling Projects
Celebrate what our friends at Hokianga Harbourcare are doing
Our Network's Mycorestoration Research Project - Fungi and mushroom
Thanks MfE for a big toxin cleanup on our millsites - July 07
Thanks TPK for facilitating Govt support for Minginui initiatives
Our Community Digital Strategy pending - Whirinaki Interactive - Dec 06
Our Lopez friends help Raglan initiate an affordable housing program
Prince Andrew adopts our Kiwi, Princess Beatrice on Mokoia Is Mar 07
Our Project to upgrade our water supply in Minginui Mar 07
Our network on the Kiwi Youth Voice learning journey to US. Mar 07
Our network at Youth Voice Digital Earth Summit on Sustainbility Aug 06
We welcomed Hunter Lovins 7-9 July 06, VIDEO view NZ tour resources
Thanks Waikato University for help with broadband 05
Thanks Housing Corp, house painting and marae restoration teams
Go Tramping in Whirinaki. See Kaka, Kiwi, Weka, Robin, Blueduck
Report Living Organisation workshops. Tipu Ake presented worldwide 05
Report Hikoi to Indigenous Knowledges Conf , Well, NZ. June 05
Thanks to UNITEC Architecture Students for help with town plans 04
Report on Sustainable Resources Conf, Colorado 04
Report on PMI Global Forum, Los Angeles Tipu Ake paper 04
Report on Sharing Indigenous Wisdom Conf, Wisconsin, June 04
Int and local visitors attend Tipu Ake Retreat March 04 See report
MPs Horomia and Mallard open our new merged area school Jan 04
Trip to Whaingaroa Env Gp Raglan, Jan04 learnings, VIDEO view

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