14/06/2026
In x5 years of work at Haakarimata we are still yet to see a rimu tree fruit.
Instead of fruiting yearly, rimu undergo "mast seeding" producing a massive crop of seeds every few years.
Mast years were once a brilliant year for native birds....unfortunately now that we have introduced predators, forest masts can now be ecological disasters if not managed, as rat numbers soar and trappers have to work overtime to contain rodents with bait stations.
These years were once a saviour for Kākāpō:
This irregular fruiting was vital for the critically endangered kākāpō parrot; the smell of ripening rimu fruit biologically triggers the bird's breeding cycle and often will only breed when there's rimu masts.
📷: Greg Townsend. A majestic rimu, MAG pest control grid, Haakarimata.
