In January 1978, conservationists made their way up the giant trees of Pureora forest, New Zealand, to take up a unique position against the practice of logging. Taking part in the demonstration were a number of environmental activists, including a botanist named Stephen King, who participated in the protest without his shoes. The protesters put up a platform in totara trees that were very old and camped there to prevent them from being cut down.
Tree-cutting operations were temporarily suspended during the same year and were subsequently terminated completely by the beginning of the 1980s following further discussion for several years. Its historic tree-top protest site serves as a reminder of how determined groups of activists helped change the future of an ancient forest. During the 1970s, conservation groups had grown wary of what remained of the old-growth trees. It was not just a matter of a single totara; the felling of larger trees and cutting into the forest canopy would allow for more exposure to wind and potential for machinery damage to roots and habitat for other wildlife .
The 1978 protest marked the turning point in the campaign to protect Pureora Forest, according to the New Zealand Department of Conservation . In fact, the New Zealand Department of Conservation states that this Pureora protest during 1978 is considered one of New Zealand’s most important conservation struggles. Today Forest Park protects an important remnant of Podocarp Forest that once covered much of New Zealand’s central North Island.
Today, the Forest Park retains its natural environment and serves as a reminder of forest logging history. Logging stopped for good, but the final logging activities of Pureora Forest were conducted in 1983, according to the Department of Conservation’s technical history. Visitors can visit the treetop protest site, near the modern-day forest tower, to see old logging equipment, the former loggers’ home, and the remnants of the transport network in the region. The Pureora campaign continues to be a significant case study of how activism can influence environmental policies. Thus, through the efforts of Stephen King and others, the preservation of the old-growth native forest gained national attention.
