Wither Hills’ canopy grows
Jason Cook, left, of Indevin and Robbie McKinney of Rangitāne o Wairau participate in a Wither Hills tree planting on 17 July. Photo: Jim Tannock Photography
Nestled in the Wither Hills, thousands of new trees have begun spreading their roots, thanks to multiple plantings by Marlburians.
Rangitāne o Wairau, Indevin, the Department of Conservation and local volunteers planted more than 1,500 native trees on 17 July near the Ōhine-anau-mate waterway. That coincided with a planting spearheaded by Clarke’s Drainage and Developments on 18-19 July which brought 1,125 natives to the western side of the hills.
The efforts were independent yet interrelated in restoring the area’s ecology.
“There’s a little bit of coincidence, a little bit of connection and a little bit of causality,” said James Mills-Kelly, natural resources and drainage engineer for Council. “We’ve got various works going on up there at the moment to stabilise the Wither Hills, its soil conservation reserve, and try to reduce sediment loading down into the Ōhine-anau-mate.”
There’s more: For a 15-year study of woody mass for producing bioenergy, the New Zealand Forest Service has added 18,000 trees, James noted, and Marlborough Boys’ College students “are keen to do some catchment restoration and planting work on the Sutherland Stream which borders on the QEII [Trust] bloc we have in the Wither Hills”.