David Cranwell's Himalayan Oaks in New Zealand

IOS member David Cranwell shared with us a bulletin about his work growing Quercus leucotrichophora in New Zealand. This was presented at the New Zealand Farm Forestry Conference held in Napier, Hawke's Bay, April 9–13, 2024. David has been growing Q. leucotrichophora, also known as Himalayan oak or banj oak, in New Zealand since the late 1990s, initially from acorns imported from India. The young trees were sold to landowners, regional councils, and the general public. The funds raised were sent back to institutions in India to propagate oaks and other trees to conserve the threatened forests. Funds are also used for other projects, including education and water storage. Over almost 30 years, several thousand banj oaks have been planted throughout New Zealand, and the trees have shown current and potential valuable contributions on several fronts. These include ground retention, hedging, coppicing, carbon sequestration, fodder for stock, potential commercial value as a fast-growing hardwood, and even as a host tree for truffles. For this work David received an IOS Special Service Award at the 10th International Oak Society Conference in 2022. Read more about the success of Q. leucotrichophora in New Zealand in his bulletin, which you can access by clicking on the image below.