10 Tōtara

We just planted 10 tōtara trees near to our Tūmai house to mark the birth of Tobia, our first grandchild.

Tōtara is an iconic tree in New Zealand, one of our endemic podocarps that can grow to 30m and emerge above the canopy of other forest trees. It’s known for its longevity and resilience.

Tobia’s grandmother, Fiona, made these stakes to mark the paths into the forest to each of Tobia’s special trees.

Tōtara play a leading role in restoring native forest in New Zealand farmed landscapes, like that now regenerating at Tūmai.

Planting a tree for each of our children is common in New Zealand.  Our local Dunedin Botanic Garden has a “placenta forest”, where parents bury their child’s placenta under a newly planted tree. ‘Whenua’ is the Māori word for both the placenta and for land.  As far as I am concerned, there could not be a better reminder of the connection and co-dependence of people and land.  If we love the land, it will love us back.  And if you are lucky like us, it may even bring you ‘mokopuna’ (grandchildren).

We hope that Tobia, like his father and uncles, will grow up with deep roots and strong wings.