Spring newsletter

Date: 13th October 2026

Thanks to everyone who attended our most successful conference yet with around 205 people attending. Southern hospitality abounded in Invercargill in August. The National Programme team and the WPN committee would like to extend huge thanks to our sponsors (National Wilding Conifer Control Programme, Boffa Miskell, Wildlands, Biosecurity Science Institute, Mid Dome Tree Charitable Trust, Environment Southland, Spray Equip, Pure Oil, SPS Automations, Thyme Hill, Tipping Point Wines, Eradus Wines, Vera Spritz). MPI is our most significant contributor and along with our sponsors provide invaluable funding to help keep our conference affordable.

Conference Highlights

Jolie Hazley and her team from Environment Southland, Vanessa Horwell, our co-organiser, Ascot Park Hotel for the venue, super hospitality and discounted accommodation, High Country Helicopters, Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust, Matariki Forests, Department of Conservation, Matt Taylor, Mid Dome Trust, Rambler Coachlines and Five Rivers café. We are also indebted to the forestry companies, government agencies and Councils who generously provided vehicles at no cost.

The conference theme of Collective Action, Future Impact: Partnering for Resilient, Wilding Free Landscapes, was well received. Talks were focused on local challenges, forestry and farming but also celebrated our community groups, contractors, innovators and researchers. Fundraising and how we increase resources for our community groups was discussed on the final day which also saw a session on restoration.

Field trips around the Takatimu’s, into West Dome forest and a flight around Mid Dome demonstrated the challenges and hard work in Southland. We are very grateful to Matariki Forests for access into West forest which really helped many people understand the demands of commercial forestry and the management of wildings in close proximity to conservation land. Douglas fir wilding is a particular challenge and there was a strong willingness from a diverse range of stakeholders to work together on this issue. Check out the overview of the 3 day conference video.

Conference presentations are now on our website Conference Presentations – Wilding Pine Network NZ in pdf and ppt form. You can also access talks from previous conferences back to our first one in 2018. 2027 will see us back in the North Island. We are in the process of determining where this will be. Napier has been suggested – we will make a final decision in coming months. If you have ideas for a theme or talks or would like to talk or be a sponsor, please let me know. The 2026 conference worked especially well because we started planning well in advance.

You can also check out various social media posts and videos on WPN’s Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Youtube channel.

We’d also like to acknowledge Gerhard Uys from Farmers Weekly for a series of stories during the conference.

Please help the National Programme with some key mahi

Review of the Wilding conifer quick ID guide (2023) is underway. MPI is updating their guide to wilding conifer species that may be establishing, spreading, or exhibiting invasive behaviour in New Zealand but are not currently recognised on the Programme’s wilding conifer species list.

National wilding strategy refresh

This is a foundation document for the preparation of the National Pest Management Plan and updates the current strategy. MPI have a 2-year timeframe for the development of the NPMP (refer below). WPN has submitted on this.

National pest management plan

The decision to prepare an NPMP was part of the recent Budget 2026 announcement of the extra funding package. The NPMP is designed to provide for the coordinated management of a pest species and provides a legally binding and transparent framework that guarantees contributions from both the government and primary sector industries. Tb has virtually been eradicated from parts of NZ as a result of having an NPMP. There are also NPMP’s for wallabies and kauri dieback.

The development of the wilding one will involve considerable consultation and MPI hopes to have it done within 2 years, which would be the fastest one of these documents has been completed. It is essential that we support the MPI team with this mahi as it is a significant opportunity to widen understanding of the importance of effective wilding control and achieve sustainable funding to enable the work to be done.

Biocontrol

We have in partnership with Ronny Groentemann from Manaaki Whenua/ Biosecurity Science Institute (and supported by the National Programme) applied to Forest Growers Levy Trust to more closely examine a potential biocontrol tool for wilding Douglas fir. One option is the Douglas fir cone gall midge, Contarinia oregonensis which could inhibit cone growth.

Both images above are from a leaflet from British Columbia on how this midge works. Ronny is a tireless campaigner in this work. We would like to acknowledge both her work and support from the National Programme which has set aside $10,000 of co funding. WPN intends to undertake more of these partnerships. I would also like to acknowledge our committee for their quick and strong support for this application. This is exciting work that could reduce wilding risk for a valuable commercial tree species and start to add natural solutions to our wilding toolbox

KONS funding update

We have recently awarded $20,000 from funding we received from the Kaupapa of National Significance fund in lots of $2K each to 10 groups around NZ. Projects include community and staff training days, purchase of tools, educational videos including one on distance spread and work on the ground.

We are also working on a national funding strategy, initial work on this was presented at the 2026 conference by Hayley McCairns and Ket Bradshaw who are spearheading this work; a series of fact sheets on restoration post control and a guide for training of new people wishing to undertake basic wilding control.

Keep the pressure on leading up to the election

Wilding pines have been getting good coverage in the media in the last 6 months as a result of many in community groups continuing their advocacy work both in the media and with local and national politicians. Cheers also to the Federated Farmers media machine that has been getting stories out in regional papers and national magazines.

Hayley our media manager is also going great guns – our social media presence is on the rise. It’s great to have someone who is familiar with these mediums and understands how to maximise reach with good content and imagery.

Check out our various social media avenues and tag your group into them and share your work, photos and comments. Let’s keep wildings in the limelight – We have a diverse and collaborative nationwide team – together this is a biosecurity battle we can win.

Instagram: @wpn_ngo

Facebook:@WildingPineNetwork

Youtube: @WildingPineNetwork LinkedIn:@WildingPineNetwork

Little punchy videos like the one below from the Waingake project in Gisborne are what we need more of. If you make any, please tag us in when you air them. Big ups to Gisborne Council and Pomaka Contracting for a super video. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FYdXig9r4/

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