Pinus contorta and Scotch pine head for the top of the Inland Kaikoura Ranges
Date: 16th May 2025
A recent survey by the South Marlborough Landscape Restoration Trust evidences the relentless spread of wilding pines and conifers and the heights they will grow at. During April 2025 control work new contorta sites were found in the Awatere MU. A number of these sites are within 3.5 km of the top of the Inland Kaikoura Range with peaks well over 2,000 metres. Scotch pine was also found at the same elevations.
Both of these photos were taken by Andrew Withers SMLRT’s Operations Manager during April control and survey works. Look at the low growing native vegetation around both pines – it shows how these trees grow so much quicker than our native species and block out light and nutrients needed to sustain these communities. We cannot lose these unique and special places.
But there is some good news. DOC funding provided SMLRT with the resources to control 17,000 hectares in the 105,000-hectare Awatere Management Unit. Approx. 40 known Contorta sites and lone coning trees were revisited, and they showed a downward trend in the number of Contorta seedlings. The Awatere MU contains approx. 100 other lone coning Contorta. Three new Contorta sites were discovered -Weka Brook, Tone Bivvy and the Upper Dane, as well as approx. 12 new lone coning Contorta spread across the MU. A number of these sites are within 3.5 km of the top of the Inland Kaikoura Range with peaks well over 2,000 metres.
This map shows the helicopter tracklog of the April 2025 operation. The blue dots are the new Contorta sites and lone trees, the yellow dots are new coning Douglas Fir, and the black unidentified pines are Scotch Pine (which are growing in the Tarndale/Alma area in the adjacent Molesworth MU). The Awatere MU shares a 57km northern boundary with the Waihopai MU, much of it along the Ferny Gair DOC Reserve.
These places like many places where wildings often contain rare and endangered species and, in some instances, the last remaining known place for an individual species. We cannot afford to lose them as once gone they are lost forever. Great work by SMLRT, Malborough Helicopters and DOC.
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