One of the Coromandel Peninsula’s oldest and most treasured kauri trees has tested positive for Phytophthora agathidicida (PA), the microscopic pathogen responsible for kauri dieback disease, prompting renewed calls for the public to help protect the remaining ancient forests. Soil testing has confirmed the presence of the disease at the Long Bay Kauri Walk, near…One of the Coromandel Peninsula’s oldest and most treasured kauri trees has tested positive for Phytophthora agathidicida (PA), the microscopic pathogen responsible for kauri dieback disease, prompting renewed calls for the public to help protect the remaining ancient forests. Southern kauri forests have remained comparatively free from the disease, making them increasingly important for the long-term survival of the species. While council staff had long suspected the ancient tree may have kauri dieback based on its condition, confirmation only came after extensive soil testing. As conservation agencies and iwi continue working to slow the spread of kauri dieback, officials say every visitor has a role to play in protecting these ancient giants for future generations.