FULL PROGRAMME
In association with
PRE-CONFERENCE: WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER 2026
11:00am-4:30pm Roots of Resilience: The Phantom Rātā Field Trip (OPTIONAL SELF-DRIVE TOUR)
(meet at trailhead)
Pre-conference field trip to the eastern slopes above Lake Ōkataina to visit The Phantom Rātā, a survivor of the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption)
Note: This is a self-drive, self-catered tour. Delegates are to meet at the trailhead (opposite 692 Lake Ōkataina Road) for an 11:00am departure on a guided tramp to The Phantom Rātā. The return walk is approximately 10.6km (5.3km each way) and will take around 2.5 hours each way. A moderate level of fitness is required. The trailhead is located approximately 30 minutes’ drive from Rotorua and around 4 hours from Auckland. Delegates should come prepared for backcountry conditions. This is a true bush walk and is not recommended for the weak-kneed. The route includes off-track ascent and descent through steeply sloping native forest. Please bring your own packed lunch, water bottle, and suitable outdoor clothing and footwear. A donation to the NZ Notable Trees Trust is appreciated.
1:15pm-4:15pm The Original Canopy Tour (OPTIONAL TOUR)
*ticketed directly through Rotorua Canopy Tours at exclusive NZ Arb price.
This optional pre-conference activity will take you on a guided tour deep into one of the last pockets of pre-human wilderness in Aotearoa. Over three hours, you’ll fly on six ziplines, including a 220-metre canopy ride, cross two swing bridges, and explore treetop platforms up to 18 metres high. Launch from a 1,000-year-old rimu tree and see for yourself what a predator-free New Zealand could look like.
4:00pm-6:00pm Early Arrivals Meet-up
In town early? Join NZ Arb Board members for an informal drink at Craft Beer Kitchen, Eat Street. (Cash bar. Drinks Specials. Light snacks provided).
DAY 1: THURSDAY 29 OCTOBER 2026
8:00am Registration desk and indoor/outdoor trade zone open
Arrival tea/coffee available
10:00am-10:30am Mihi and conference opening | Welcome and housekeeping
• Conference hosts and MC duo: Bruce MacDonald and Chelsea Robertson
• Nicky Gibbs | NZ Arb President
• Rick Jobbitt | ArbEco
Platinum sponsor address: Gareth Jones | Asplundh
10:30am-11:15am International Keynote
"Future-Proofing the Urban Forest: Tree Selection for a Changing Climate”
• Dr Andrew Hirons | Meyerscough College (UK)
11:15am-12:00pm International Keynote
“Ethics in Arboriculture: Reclaiming Our Responsibility”
• Em Roberts (USA) | Clackamas College (USA)
12:00pm-12:15pm
“Your Association, Your Future – Shaping Tomorrow Together”
• Nicky Gibbs and Ben Worth | NZ Arb Board of Directors
12:15pm-1:00pm Lunch Break (INDOOR / OUTDOOR TRADE ZONE)
ROOTS OF RESILIENCE
1:00pm-1:40pm
“Joined at the Bark, a Closer Look
at Inosculation”
• Menno Kluiters | Curator | Eastwoodhill National Arboretum
UTILITY ARBORICULTURE
1:00pm-1:40pm
“From Silence to Safety: How Open Communication Mitigates Harm in Utility Arboriculture”
• Daryl Marshall | National Safety & Compliance Manager | Asplundh (Aus)
2:20pm-3:00pm
“Utility Arboriculture in Action”
• Josh Butterill | General Manager Metering & Field Operations, DELTA
3:00pm-3:30pm Afternoon Tea (INDOOR / OUTDOOR TRADE ZONE)
ARB BUSINESS STREAM
PECHA KUCHA – ARB EDITION 1.0
3:30pm-5:30 Pecha Kucha sessions
*New for 2026 – NZ Arb’s first-ever Pecha Kucha session! The full programme will be released on 30 June, with presentations already confirmed on topics ranging from heritage trees and urban forests to career pathways, community engagement and industry innovation. Pecha Kucha (chit-chat in Japanese) is a unique presentation style, known for telling stories through images. Brief in format, they follow a 20x20 rule. Each presentation consists of 20 slides, each displayed for only 20 secs, automatically progressing to the next one. This results in a total presentation time of 6 mins and 40 secs.
5:30pm-7:30pm Industry Welcome & Cimber Gear Check (INDOOR / OUTDOOR TRADE ZONE)
DAY 2: FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2026
8:00am Registration Desk and Indoor / Outdoor Trade Zone Open
9:00am-9:45am International Keynote
“Better Decisions in Arboriculture: The Value of Collaboration”
• Em Roberts (USA) | Clackamas College (Oregon USA)
9:45am-10:15am International Keynote
“Applied Tree Biology: Turning Science into Better Arboricultural Practice”
• Dr Andrew Hirons | Meyerscough College (UK)
10:15am-10:45am Morning Tea (INDOOR / OUTDOOR TRADE ZONE)
10:45am-11:25am
“Problems with Tree Risk Assessment – An Australian Perspective”
• Mark Hartley (Aus) | Owner, The Arborist Network
11:30am-12:10pm
“Connecting Science and Practice: Forest Pathology for Urban Tree Care”
• Darryl Herron | Pathology Diagnostics and Collections | Bioeconomy Science Institute
12:10pm-12:50pm
“Engaging with Communities to Implement the Christchurch City Council Parks Planting Program: From Consultation through to getting trees in the ground”
• Toby Chapman | Christchurch City Council
12:50pm-1:20pm Lunch Break (INDOOR / OUTDOOR TRADE ZONE)
1:20pm-1:50pm
• Speaker Announced 30 June
1:50pm-2:20pm
NZ Notable Trees Trust talk: “Enhancing the New Zealand Tree Register: A Lyttleton Case Study”
• Ra Hammer | The Tree People
2:20pm-2:50pm
“How to maximize the benefits of our green assets and work around them in Auckland, New Zealand”
• Regine Leung | Auckland Council
2:50pm-3:20pm
“The Future of Tree Risk”
• Simon Strauss | Zygium
3:20pm-3:30pm Conference Close
3:30pm Afternoon Tea (INDOOR / OUTDOOR TRADE ZONE)
3:30pm-6:30pm NZ Notable Trees Tree Tour
Join us for a guided visit to the renowned SCION ARBORETUM andit s outstanding collection of exotic timber species. Delegates will explore some of the arboretum’s most remarkable specimens, with opportunities to remeasure the legendary Pinus montezumae—currently a world champion tree—and, time permitting, locate and measure what may be the atllest Pinus torreyana in the collection.
Debrief afterwards at Eastwood over beers and pizza with an ecelctic group of scientists, mountain bikers, and adventurous locals.
*Cash bar. Light snacks provided.
Evening Free Evening – Drink Specials* (CRAFT BEER KITCHEN, EAT STREET)
*Show your nametag and get $10 pint off 15 tap beers and cidersa t the Craft Beer Kitchen and The Beer Garden, Eat Street