Scion, nice work if you love trails (and trees)

See some photos of last Wednesdays lunchtime run from Scion and one that I did a couple of weeks earlier.


Only days after I arrived at Scion - they had the annual Prisoner Dash 5k Trail Run. In this photo Kat shows how she is going to ride a thoroughbred stallion to victory.

Just before Christmas last year I hugely fortunate to receive an offer to work, as a science communicator at Scion, a Crown* Research Institute in Rotorua. A little background here. (* for overseas readers, Crown means Government)

My education (more than a decade of it at Universities in New Zealand and the United States) is in animal genetics. I love science, however the more I became immersed in the field, I realised that I really enjoyed communicating about the research rather than doing the original science-y stuff. When I arrived back in New Zealand, burned out from a five-year stint in Californian biotech, I was not immediately inclined to re-enter the science scene. I had vowed my science days are over.


My lunchtime runs usually start with this climb - it's always fun to try and catch the mountain bikers.

Enter Scion - the major provider of research related to the forestry industry in New Zealand. Think of anything to do with wood and forestry (go on – I’ll give you ten minutes here to do so) and I can guarantee you that Scion’s 300 or so staff in Rotorua do research on everything you have thought of – and ten-times more. To some on the outside, the research may seem a little arcane. Science often appears that way. But knowledge of the physical, chemical and biological systems that describes everything from what goes in inside a cell to how a whole forest functions is vital for New Zealand’s economic future. More than that, this knowledge, skills and creativity are essential to the ecological future of our nation.

Anyway, I got the job. Here was my chance to realise one my life’s goals of becoming a superb science writer - and an above-average mediocre trail runner. The thing is, Scion is smack-bang right next door to one of the best trail systems on the planet. It makes sense that if you are studying forests, it is handy to have a forest on your doorstep. In Scion’s case it is the Whakarewarewa forest. Rotorua, being a major overseas tourist and recreation destination has developed a trail system that is truly superb. The Whaka forest is intensely managed as a massive research laboratory, a recreation resource, an ecological resource and as a commercial forest. Depending on where you are in the forest, the management goals shift.


A pretty sweet track through the Redwoods (on the Yellow Trail for you locals)

It’s not surprising that every lunchtime, I lace up my running shoes (or just go barefooted) and head in to the forest. On a sunny day, there may easily be 50+ Scion people out there –walking (often with their dogs), running or mountain biking under the trees. The trailhead is a one-minute run from my building (it’s OK to be jealous). From there, the trails split, weave and cross-cross like a spiders web. There are single tracks, forestry roads, hills and flats – take your choice. In about fifty days of running on these trails, I have run on a new piece of trail probably 30-40 times.

So, if you are ever in Rotorua and feel like a lunchtime trail run. Just get in touch we’ll disappear in to the forest. I’ll even treat you to lunch at the Scion Café.

Cheers,

Paul Charteris
June, 2010