A major reforestation project at Craigieburn in Leith Valley is nearing an end.
Students from the Otago Polytechnic horticulture course have been working with the Dunedin Amenities Society and the Dunedin City Council to restore the historic site, in Tanner Rd, for the past 19 years.
Society project manager Paul Pope said Craigieburn was ''a case study in colonial conservation'' made possible by the foresight of its owner, Elizabeth Tanner, in the early 1880s.
A ban on tree clearance was made on the site then, preserving mature trees and bush, including some rimu trees that are up to 650 years old.
During the past 19 years, students had planted between 2500 and 3000 native trees at Craigieburn and that had made a ''major contribution to the biodiversity of the area'' Mr Pope said.
Only one more year of the project is planned, with students planting another 600 small trees last week.
The area has tracks running through it and has been connected to the Ross Creek tracks. It includes several historic structures, including the remnants of a cow byre.
