Newsletter No. 5 - December 2009

www.soundsrestoration.org.nz

Wilding pine progress
The Trust has made huge progress in transforming the landscape of Queen Charlotte Sound this spring, with thousands more wilding pines treated by contractors as part of the Trust’s 2009-10 wilding pine control programme.
The map below shows the extent of control as at 15 December, with work undertaken in Bay of Many Coves, Blackwood Bay, Torea Bay, Double Cove, Onahau Bay, Whatamango Bay, Kahikatea Bay, Dieffenbach Point, and the coastal faces between Kahikatea and Whatamango Bay.

GPS track logs show where contractors have worked this year in Queen Charlotte Sound.

Trees are noticeably slower to die back this year, due to the cold spring, but are all expected to turn as summer kicks in.
Some further control is due to be undertaken at Dieffenbach Point in the New Year, followed by treatment of any missed trees and the felling of excluded trees.
This year’s programme is being financially supported by the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board’s Environment and Heritage Fund, Canterbury Community Trust, Department of Conservation, Marlborough District Council, New Zealand King Salmon Company Ltd, and dozens of private landowners.
In addition, Nufarm NZ provided herbicide, and Cougar Lines and DOC have assisted with boat transport. Accommodation has been kindly provided by David Hopkins, Alister Macalister, Peach Bay Ltd, Andrew & Kylie Hutchison, Lynn & Trevor Fisher, Charlotte Woods and the Mistletoe Bay Trust Inc. Many other people have given their time or support to the programme.
To everyone who has assisted with this exciting community-led enterprise we’d like to say - thanks!

Developing new control tools
The Trust kills pines by engaging contractors to locate the trees on foot, drill holes into the trees, and then inject a herbicide solution. While this method has proved to be very reliable, it also has its limitations.
In particular, it means a lot of very hard work, with each worker having to carry heavy loads through the bush, battling gorse, bluffs and wild weather.  In remote areas, this can be an unrealistic expectation on staff, with costs escalating and increasing numbers of missed trees.
Accordingly, the Trust is now being funded by the Biodiversity Advice Fund to test an alternative control method for use in the Marlborough Sounds.
This method uses a helicopter to spray a small amount of herbicide onto the growing tips of mature trees. Application is done using specialised spraying equipment, to ensure there is minimal spray drift.
If the method is successful in killing pines, and not affecting surrounding vegetation, it will mean the Trust and landowners have another tool in the pine control toolbox, which will be very suited to remote and inaccessible areas, and to undertake follow-up control of isolated trees missed during initial control.
The trial got underway in Kenepuru Sound during November. We would particularly like to thank the Maori trustees of the Kenepuru 7A block, who allowed the trial to take place on their land.

The photos show the specialised spraying equipment being used to trial the aerial spot-spraying of wilding pines. If successful, it will mean control becomes feasible over far wider areas of the Marlborough Sounds in future.

The Trust is also collaborating with DOC in a second trial, in the Grove Arm, which will see dry herbicide granules, instead of a herbicide solution, injected into the trees by ground staff.
The trial follows promising results using this method by Nick Ledgard, of ENSIS, last year on Arapawa Island.
At present, Trust contractors may carry and use up to 12 litres of herbicide solution a day. If successful, the dry granule approach means they can carry a couple of kilograms of dry granules only, making their load a lot lighter.

Further support needed
Fund-raising is now getting underway to complete initial control throughout all high-priority areas of Inner Queen Charlotte Sound during 2010-11.
Approximately $160,000 will be needed to undertake the programme, with control likely to focus on Lochmara and Onahau bays, and the Grove Arm.
If you are interested in supporting the programme, please contact the Trust at 027 6228135 or info@soundsrestoration.org.nz, or download a donation form at http://www.soundsrestoration.org.nz/how-can-you-help.html.