Restoring and protecting the iconic scenic tussock grassland, alpine and coastal landscapes of South Marlborough

THURSDAY 31ST JULY 2025

WILDING PINE FIELD DAY

The South Marlborough Landscape Restoration Trust invites you to a Wilding Pine Field Day, starting at Tyntesfield and travelling through the Omaka Gorge, over Blairich Pass, and out to the Awatere Road. https://maps.app.goo.gl/xZvaWCBYRiaJXdSRA

Event Details:

• Meet: 12:45 pm at the Tyntesfield Woolshed for a welcome and health & safety briefing.

• Departure: 1:00 pm sharp.

• Postponement Date: Friday 1 August (if required).

• Return: Expect to be back at the Tyntesfield Woolshed by 5:00 pm.

The track is suitable only for high-clearance 4WD vehicles with off-road tyres. We have limited space available in 4WDs and will pool vehicles ( 4 people per vehicle).

Please bring:  afternoon tea, warm clothing and sturdy boots

Purpose of the Field Day:

• View the Trust’s work in The Ned/Te Hau and lower Awatere areas.

• Learn about future plans for wilding pine control.

• See a live demonstration of the “drill and fill” method for treating standing trees.

• Discuss control methods and progress to date.

RSVP: info@marlboroughrestoration.org.nz

OPERATIONS UPDATE

Awatere Valley: Our Operations Manager, Andrew Withers, has completed extensive wilding pine control across the Awatere Valley. He returned to previously identified Contorta Pine sites and discovered several new infestations.

This work was made possible thanks to $75,000 in funding from the Department of Conservation (DOC). The Trust extends our sincere thanks to Pat Crowe, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, and the many supportive landowners. Detailed GPS data collected during this operation will help ensure these sites are easily located for future maintenance.

Molesworth: The Marlborough District Council (MDC) recently confirmed that $400,000 from the International Visitors Levy (IVL) has been allocated for maintenance and to remove historic pine plantings from Isolated Flat.

In addition, MDC’s Biosecurity Team conducted one week of ground control near Molesworth Homestead and Saxton Pass, treating 2,500 trees across 250 hectares.

Branch Leatham: The Trust has completed ABBA/wanding control work in the Lost Valley, targeting steep terrain unsuitable for our backcountry volunteer teams. The map below shows the treated areas; the pink zone indicates future volunteer work scheduled for November 2025 (dates to be confirmed).

WORKING VOLUNTEER DAY 25th MAY: We had an incredible day on Blowhard Ridge, with a wonderful group of volunteers aged 6 to 80 years! Highlights included:

• The removal of 3,771 wilding pines – a huge team effort!

• Visits from MDC staff, videographer Tony Benny (filming for MPI), and three cheeky kea who supervised our work.

Thank you to everyone who made the day such a success.

We have now created a NEWS page on our website - where you can watch, listen and read all things wilding pines and the work we have been doing.

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Check out our YouTube channel @southmarlboroughrestoration to access where we will be uploading videos as they come through Click here

NATIONAL ADVOCACY

Our Chair, John Oswald, has sent a letter to Minister of Finance Nicola Willis, co-signed by Ket Bradshaw (Chair, Wilding Pine Network), requesting $100 million over 10 years to control wildings in the Branch Leatham area.

We are also developing a business case highlighting the threat wilding pine spread poses to water yields and the $1.8 billion Marlborough wine industry. A response is expected before spring. As part of our advocacy programme we’re preparing for another helicopter trip in the Spring

NEWS UPDATES

Funding: We’re thrilled to have secured support from the Rātā Foundation to work with The Fundraising Agency. This partnership will begin in August and aims to develop long-term funding strategies from NGOs.

Communications: Boffa Miskell successfully completed the end-of-year aerial survey over Molesworth last Tuesday. After the wet weather, a perfect bluebird day provided clear imagery. Some of the photos reveal the scale and severity of current infestations.

Below are timelapse images from the Branch Leatham Buffer, just over the ridge from the Saxton River on Molesworth Station:
📷 May 2020 ➜ July 2025

We are very sad to hear of Jim Ward’s departure from Molesworth - the SMLRT team have worked with him closely over the years and he has been a fantastic advocate against wilding pines - his knowledge and experience will be missed - full article here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360759827/pines-and-politics-frustrations-behind-molesworth-managers-shock-exit

OTHER REGIONS EFFORTS: Our friends at the Central Otago Wilding Conifer Control Group have been busy testing and doing some informative interviews - click here to check out their Facebook page.

To find out more about the problem, reports and all the other amazing resources on the Wilding Pine Network website - click here

Let’s us know what else you would like to hear or be updated about!

info@marlboroughrestoration.org.nz

www.marlboroughrestoration.org.nz