The Whitewood project started in late November 2007 with the visit of five Australian members of the project to Santo, and a busy ten-day period of planning and beginnings of work with collaborators Department of Forestry Vanuatu and Melcoffee Sawmills.

Our greatest progress to date has been in the area of identifying site selection criteria for Whitewood plantations on Espiritu Santo Island, Vanuatu. Extensive soil sampling was done, in coordination with the establishment of thirty Permanent Sample Plots in Whitewood plantations. These are useful in estimating yields and will be monitored throughout the project.

Using the set of soil samples taken along with tree measurements and existing knowledge summarised in the VANRIS system, project soil scientist John Grant estimates that there are approximately 69,203 hectares suitable for successful Whitewood plantations, out of 395,120 ha on the island. We did not detect a range of site indices in this area, with the soils being broadly similar across all plots sampled and precipitation adequate for good tree growth.
From December 2007 through to May 2008 a series of trial plots were established, to deal with issues of weed control, plantation management and spacing-thinning. These will be augmented in September 2008 by another series of trials, focussing on agroforestry combinations and mixtures with other tree species.

Wood quality sampling will begin in July 2008, in conjunction with collection of seed and cuttings from seed orchards.