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| Members of the Wilding pine working bee moved across the tops at Cattle Flat station, pulling out seedlings. |
On Saturday ( 19 March) 13 people spent the day admiring some of the best views in Southland while they cleared 10 hectares of wilding trees, organiser of the event, Environment Southland Senior Biosecurity officer Randall Milne said.
"The Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust, in conjunction with Environment Southland held the wilding tree work day on Cattle Flat Station this time," he said. " Cameron Young from Cattle Flat Station was there and spoke about life on the station and the importance of controlling wilding trees."
The group worked along the ridge of the Matuara Range which is a significant take off area for the seeds of any wilding trees which get to a seeding age. He said that every plant which is pulled out, especially before it produces seeds, helps prevent wilding trees becoming spread further.
Over the previous weekend students from the Environmental Management degree course worked on the Keen property of Tomogalak, north of Balfour . Over that weekend they removed 3,100 pines from an area that had been cleared twice before over the past nine years.
Twelve people including their tutor Ross Ramsay not only worked hard but also all had a great time. "The wilding pines have grown from seeds released from trees planted on Mid Dome for preventing erosion there," Milne said. " This working bee by the students added to the efforts of the day's work organised by ES last Saturday."
Both working bees helped the Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust achieve its aims of eradicating the wilding pines which are causing so much havoc, especially to the west of Mid Dome.
The Mid Dome Trust holds two wilding tree work days each year and anyone interested in helping can contact Randall Milne at Environment Southland (Phone 03 2115115, or Email Randall.Milne@es.govt.nz)
