A few weeks ago, Chris S issued a call to arms (well, saws and loppers actually) to mount another attack on wilding pines (Pinus Contorta) in the Waimakariri Basin and 5 carloads of trampers headed west, keen to lay waste to the pesky blighters. They are extremely invasive and ECan has been working to eradicate them for many years using aerial spraying, commercial firms and volunteers like us. The Bishopdale Tramping Club is one of many organisations helping in an area where we do about 8 tramps each year.
The area was on the south end of Flock Hill where it borders Castle Hill, some distance back from the road and in a different area to previous missions. On the side of the track was a Battlefield sign which, your scribe assumes, was an area used in the Lord of the Rings movies. The limestone was truly spectacular with one long high ridge looking like the battlements of a large castle.
But we were not there to gawk at the scenery – there was work to do. And what work it was! It soon became apparent that the pines would not be a pushover as in the past. They would require a lot of effort and steely resolve to remove them. Even the small ones could not be pulled out with brute force. Many were around 2 metres tall and finding the base was just the first issue. They had to be sawn off at ground level and all traces of green pine needles removed. Jan M and Chris S surmised that they had been grazed by deer so the pines had toughened up.
The calls for morning tea and lunch were eagerly received but when the final whistle went at around 3pm there was a collective sigh of relief. It had been slow, hard progress but we could see where we had removed quite a few trees. On the positive side, we left enough trees for another group of volunteers. We just hope that happens before the next call to arms.
Text by Peter M
17 Volunteers coordinated, 4 high-clearance vehicles provided, a day suited to everyone, fine weather, a location teed up – ducks in a row, good to go.
Having met up at Yaldhurst for a final check-in we were on the road to Castle Hill Village to meet up with Ray Goldring, Deputy Chair of WELRA (Waimakariri Ecological and Landscape Restoration Alliance), to collect loppers, saws and hi-vis vests. He was going to guide us to our pine patch on Flock Hill Station.
It is interesting to note that the main wilding pine is Pinus Contorta but basically any pine tree growing wild can be a pest; but contorta is the worst as it establishes very quickly from wind-blown seed and is able to soak up moisture like a sponge – ready to bear cones and potentially seed again rapidly after about four years.
Having negotiated a winding rutted shingle farm road which eventually petered out into a rough grassy track, we arrived at our very scenic spot for the day. We gathered round for Ray’s instructions, gathered up our gear and got to work. The first of the noticeably vibrant green trees were easy enough to deal with but as the day progressed, they became much gnarlier and harder to fell, even with the big loppers or a saw. It was hard going but after a lot of b, s and t – all persevered. Morning tea and lunch breaks were certainly a welcome respite. About 2.30 we called it quits and headed back to report progress and explain the nature of the trees that maybe would need some heavier hitters to eradicate.
Everyone enjoyed the day including one of BTC’s longest-serving trampers 92 yr old David Eddy (one of 5 Davids on the day!) who first started his wilding pine volunteering back in 1989 and who had not been back long from a cruise in Antarctica. Remarkable.
Our effort to get rid of these pesky pines is always appreciated is as the $830 payment to the club received from WELRA. Join up next time for the next pinus contorta adventure in a place that may be off the beaten track like this one.
Text by Old Boots (Chris S)
