Disclaimer: The following blog post is not a reflection of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s opinion on the below topics.
Pureora Forest is a lush habitat located in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, situated west of Lake Taupō and east of Te Kuiti.[1] New Zealand forests are typically “composed of a combination of podocarp and broad-leaf trees,” according to ecologist Dr. John Leathwick. Podocarps are a distinctive feature of the forest, as they are much taller and older than the broad-leaf trees that surround them. Pureora is one of the last forests on the North Island to have such a distinctive forest pattern.[2] Logging practices that ravaged New Zealand in the 20th century threatened this beautiful forest. The 1978 Pureora Forest protest was an incredible example of the power of nonviolent action, demonstrating the importance of environmental protests. Environmental activists saved the forest, consequently allowing it to return to the lush, ecological haven it is known as today.
Before settlers arrived in New Zealand, “more than 80% of the land was covered in lush, dense native forest and shrublands.”[4] However, by the late 1940s, large-scale logging and the creation of sawmilling communities had begun in the Pureora area, which significantly reduced the number of trees in the forest.[5]
Conservation organisations were established in New Zealand in the late 1910s, even prior to the onset of widespread systematic logging of Pureora. As forest logging accelerated, citizens became increasingly concerned about the practice’s environmental effects. In response to conservationists, author Nancy Swarbrick describes how “the Forest Service stopped logging kauri, but insisted that other native forests were still needed for timber. This led to a series of clashes in the 1970s, first over beech forests on the West Coast and in Southland, then over the central North Island podocarp forests at Pureora and Whirinaki.”[6]
These clashes came to a head in 1977 when the Maruia Declaration, which demanded that New Zealand’s forests be protected, was presented to parliament. The declaration had 341,159 signatures and outlined six principles. Swarbrick claims that “The first [principle], ‘Native forests, wherever they remain, need recognition and protection in law’, became a rallying cry for conservationists during the 1970s and 1980s.”[7]
Also in 1977, the Native Forest Action Council and the chair of its Auckland Branch, Stephen King, wrote a 100-page document that they submitted to Parliament’s Minister of Forests. The document called for a stop to logging and presented “evidence confirming that Pureora offered the last outstanding opportunity for a mainland sanctuary of especially high wildlife and historic value.”[9] The NFAC and King assembled this evidence by visiting many of the remaining podocarp forests in New Zealand’s North Island. Nevertheless, the New Zealand Forest Service ignored their submission.[10]
After their petition went unanswered, activists knew they needed to take drastic action.[11] Consequently, on January 18th, 1978, King and several other protesters climbed two massive podocarp trees in Pureora Forest, where logging was about to begin. They remained on concealed platforms in the canopy and brought enough supplies to last for weeks. Loggers were unable to cut any of the trees down, as they did not know which ones were occupied by protesters.[12] Moreover, journalist Drew Philip asserts that “tree sits are particularly effective because it’s difficult to remove the person suspended in the air without endangering their lives.”[13] Activists also went to the forest floor, sitting in front of trees and hiding underneath logs.[14] Although the protest attracted many supporters, only about a dozen people were a part of the core group of demonstrators.[15]
Conservationists bombarded New Zealand’s Prime Minister with telegrams demanding that the loggers stop their work. The Prime Minister ordered the tree-sitters to evacuate the area, but King had a permit for his group to camp in the forest. On January 22nd, the Director General of the New Zealand Forest Service announced a temporary pause in logging until March. Stephen King and his companions abandoned their trees. The protest generated a lot of media attention and international publicity. Cabinet ministers received an influx of telegrams, as many people supported the protesters, including politicians and scientists.[17]
After many governmental debates, the Minister of Forests announced in August of 1978 that there would be a three-year pause in logging in Pureora Forest. After that, they would implement a policy “designed to reduce logging of native forest to a sustained yield.”[18] Logging in Pureora Forest was brought to a permanent end in 1982.[19]
Some were upset when Pureora Forest stopped logging practices, as job opportunities were greatly diminished in the area. However, many of those who were originally negatively affected are now grateful that there is still a beautiful, dense forest to enjoy.[20] Due to the extensive conservation efforts made in 1977, “Pureora Forest is now a sanctuary for our most endangered wildlife.”[21] Not only did protesters have a big impact on the forest itself, but some go so far as to claim that “tree-sitting” began as a protest tactic with the 1978 protest.[22] Demonstrators exemplified the power of nonviolent action with their bravery, and by doing so, they allowed Pureora Forest to become a vibrant sanctuary for recreation and wildlife.
[1]“Pureora Forest Park,” Department of Conservation, accessed October 2025, https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/waikato/places/pureora-forest-park/.
[2]NZ Tree Project – On The Shoulders of Giants, directed by The Tree Projects (Youtube, 2017), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWsIYDIPIcE, 17:05-18:15.
[3]OpenStreetMap, Detailed Road Map of Pureora Forest, Backpack New Zealand, accessed 2025, https://www.backpack-newzealand.com/maps/all/pureora-forest-map-55022.php.
[4]Ministry for Primary Industries, “About New Zealand’s Forests: NZ Government,” About New Zealand’s forests | NZ Government, May 2022, https://www.mpi.govt.nz/forestry/new-zealand-forests-forest-industry/about-new-zealands-forests.
[5]Carolyn King, “The Costs and Benefits of Conservation Versus Logging of Old-Growth Native Forest: A Case History,” Ecological Economics 204 (2023), https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2022.107632.; The Tree Projects, NZ Tree Project- On The Shoulders of Giants, 1:23.
[6]Nancy Swarbrick, “Logging Native Forests – Conflicting Views,” Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, March 2, 2009, https://teara.govt.nz/en/logging-native-forests/page-6 (accessed October, 2025).
[7]Nancy Swarbrick, “Logging Native Forests – Conflicting Views,” Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, March 2, 2009, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12763/delivering-the-maruia-declaration (accessed October, 2025).
[8] Carrying the Maruia Declaration, a petition calling for the protection of native forests, up the steps of Parliament, Wellington, Dominion Post (Newspaper): Photographic negatives and prints of the Evening Post and Dominion newspapers, Ref: EP/1977/2815/23a-F, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand, /records/22782708.
[9]King, “The Costs and Benefits of Conservation Versus Logging of Old-Growth Native Forest.”
[10]Ibid.
[11]The Tree Projects, NZ Tree Project- On The Shoulders of Giants, 7:00.
[12]King, “The Costs and Benefits of Conservation Versus Logging of Old-Growth Native Forest.”
[13]Drew Philip, “America’s Tree Sitters Risk Lives on the Front Line,” The Guardian, May 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/26/tree-sitters-appalachian-oil-pipeline-virginia-west.
[14]Kerryn Pollock, “King Country Region – Plants and Animals,” Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, December 6, 2011, updated March 1, 2015, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/34834/pureora-forest-protest-1978 (accessed October, 2025).
[15]The Tree Projects, NZ Tree Project- On The Shoulders of Giants, 9:10
[16] Protesters against the clear felling of Pureora Forest, Waikato region, Morice Gladstone Peacock, 1916–1995: Negatives, prints, register and minute book from 20th Century Photography studio, Taumarunui, Ref: PAColl-4875-1-04-01, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand, /records/22429844.
[17]King, “The Costs and Benefits of Conservation Versus Logging of Old-Growth Native Forest.”
[18]Ibid.
[19]Pollock, “King Country Region – Plants and Animals.”
[20]The Tree Projects, NZ Tree Project- On The Shoulders of Giants, 13:00.
[21]Ibid, 2:15.
[22]Robert Moor, “Why We Sit in Trees,” Patagonia, September 2020, https://www.patagonia.ca/stories/why-we-sit-in-trees/story-90685.html.
[23]Couple Cycling the Forest on the Timber Trail, Ruapehu, accessed October 2025, https://www.visitruapehu.com/see-do/walking-hiking/walks-in-pureora-forest.