CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Darryl Herron
Pathology Diagnostics and Collections | Bioeconomy Science Institute
SPEAKER BIO
Dr Darryl Herron is the Team Leader for Pathogen Diagnostics and Collections at the Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taiao. Trained as a forest pathologist—often called a “tree doctor”—he began his career in South Africa working in plant disease diagnostics and supporting people who manage trees in both forests and cities.
Darryl is now a senior pathologist in New Zealand, where he manages the Forest Health Reference Laboratory. This lab supports a national Forest Biosecurity Surveillance Programme by identifying pests and diseases that affect plantation forests. Alongside this work, he has long been involved in urban forest health, helping councils and land managers understand and respond to serious tree pests such as polyphagous shot hole borer (in South Africa), Dutch elm disease, kauri dieback and myrtle rust.
His current research is helping understand the fungi carried by exotic wood‑boring insects in New Zealand and how these insects might spread harmful plant pathogens. Over his career, Darryl has diagnosed problems on a number of tree species and worked across both indigenous and exotic forest systems. He is passionate about improving awareness of tree health and supporting the people who care for forests, parks, and urban trees.
TALK TITLE
Connecting Science and Practice: Forest Pathology for Urban Tree Care
ABSTRACT
Healthy cities need healthy trees. Urban forests are deeply connected to the wellbeing of our communities. They enhance the character and liveability of our cities, provide shade, improve air quality, reduce noise pollution, support urban biodiversity, and contribute to human health and wellbeing. These benefits, however, depend on healthy and resilient trees. Urban trees often face greater pressures than those in natural or production forests, growing in highly modified environments while being exposed to an increasing range of pests and diseases. Around the world, threats such as ash dieback, Dutch elm disease, Ceratocystis canker, and the polyphagous shot-hole borer have transformed urban landscapes and challenged the communities that depend on them.
Responding to these threats requires the power of connection. Effective plant health management relies on strong partnerships between arborists, scientists, local authorities, plant protection agencies, and the wider community. Arborists are often on the front line, playing a critical role in early detection, biosecurity, and disease management. This talk will explore emerging threats to urban forests, lessons from recent incursions, and how shared knowledge, collective action, and community engagement can help safeguard the urban forests that shape our stories and our future.