It's not about removing all trees, but about having the right type of tree/vegetation in the right place.
So what is a wilding pine and why are they so bad?
A wilding pine is simply a pine tree that has not been planted, but has popped up by itself, after its seed has dropped from a cone and blown on the wind to a place where it is not meant to be. Here in the Mackenzie Basin the main species of wilding pine are Pinus contorta, Pinus ponderosa, Corsican Pine, Scots Pine, Douglas Fir and Larch.
The negative impacts of wilding pines are diverse and significant, and can be grouped into 4 main headings; water, fire, land-use and biodiversity. Wilding pines are already changing the look and feel of our natural landscapes. They also have the potential to significantly change our way of life if we don't prevent their spread. Read on to learn more.
Here are some of the ways we are working with our local communities to raise awareness of wilding pines:
One of the ways the Trust aims to promote knowledge of the issues associated with wilding pines is by holding volunteer days. This short video explains what wilding pine volunteer days are all about.
Support for affected landowners
One of the ways we have supported landowners affected by wilding pines is by offering free native plant propagation workshops. These workshops build knowledge, skills and confidence among locals who are actively removing wildings from their properties and trying to replant with more suitable species.
The Trust consists of 9 trustees, all are landowners in the Basin. The Trust meets regularly, along with representatives from the affected government departments Land Information New Zealand, Ministry for Primary Industries, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Department of Conservation, the New Zealand Defence Force; and local government agencies Environment Canterbury, Mackenzie District Council, Waitaki District Council. These bodies all participate in the meetings and collaborate in prioritising and coordinating work, and obtaining funding and resources for dealing with wildings on land within the Mackenzie Basin.
We encourage landowners to continue their work on wilding pine control, and to collaborate with their neighbours and Environment Canterbury to achieve widespread control of wilding pines.
Chairman - Ross Ivey - email@example.com
Secretary/Treasurer - Bruce Cowan - firstname.lastname@example.org
Andrew Simpson - Andrew@thecairns.co.nz
Simon Cameron - email@example.com
George Ormond - firstname.lastname@example.org
Kaye Paardekooper - email@example.comRob Young - Ryoung@temanahuna.co.nz
Johnny Wigley - firstname.lastname@example.org
Hamish Smith - email@example.com
Haeleigh Turner - firstname.lastname@example.org
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