The New Zealand Journal of Forestry is the journal of the New Zealand Institute of Forestry. It publishes articles on a wide range of forestry

Forestry

Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...

-related topics, primarily on issues that are relevant to New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 and the South Pacific

Oceania

Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...

 region. The published articles include peer reviewed scientific research papers, items of current interest, opinion pieces and book reviews. The editor from 2002-2005 was Professor Bruce Manley. From 2006-2007, the journal's editor has been Associate Professor Euan Mason

Euan Mason

Euan Mason is Associate Professor at the School of Forestry at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. His main research areas include silviculture, growth and yield modelling, hybrid modelling and decision-support . He is skilled in the field of dendrology, the identification of...

 of the University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

, New Zealand.

Journal articles that are more than three years old are available free from the journal's website.

Te Kura Ngahere

The journal was first published in 1925, under the name Te Kura Ngahere (in Maori Te kura means 'the school', ngahere means 'forest'). At this time the journal was 'produced by the Forestry
Club of the Canterbury College School of Forestry, and its aim [was] to discuss forestry in all its aspects'. The first editor, from 1925 to 1934, was F.E. Hutchinson.

In 1925 there was only one university in New Zealand, the University of New Zealand

University of New Zealand

The University of New Zealand was the New Zealand university from 1870 to 1961. It was the sole New Zealand university, having a federal structure embracing several constituent colleges at various locations around New Zealand...

, with district 'colleges' in various New Zealand centres. The Canterbury College

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

School of Forestry began operating in 1924 — only 1 year prior to the first publication of this journal. This means that the early issues of this journal give the reader an interesting insight into the development of forestry and university level forestry education in New Zealand.

The first issue of the journal contains information on the Forestry School's history and development, articles on New Zealand forests, and notes on the experiences of members of the forestry club. In the article 'Forestry as a Profession', we are told:

In primitive times forestry consisted entirely in the harvesting of needed wood from the abundant forest wealth supplied by Nature, so that the first forester was that sturdy and independent being, the bushman, who has wrought mightily here in New Zealand to supply us with timber for our buildings, fertile clearings for our crops, and also, perhaps, to some extent, with barren acres of blackened stumps and bare clay soil—the result of an excess of misdirected energy. Aside from this last point, for which he can hardly be blamed, his work is most necessary and valuable, and he fills an important place in the life of the nation.

This shows an early understanding of the misguided nature of some of the early tree-felling exploits in New Zealand, along with a pride in the role of forestry in New Zealand.

Shift of control: Canterbury College to New Zealand Institute of Foresters

At the end of 1934, the School of Forestry at Canterbury College was forced to 'close its doors temporarily, due to financial stringency'. (It remained closed until the late 1960s.) When the school closed in 1934, the New Zealand Institute of Foresters took over the publication of the journal, and it became the official journal of the institute.

In 1936, the name of the journal changed to the New Zealand Journal of Forestry.