The hunt for wilding pines has taken to the skies.

Drones are helping crews to track down individual wilding pines around Tekapo, which remain after years of successful control work.

Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is using drone technology to help spot these “needle in a haystack” trees before they have a chance to spread.
Biosecurity leader Tracey Burton said LINZ had already controlled most of the large wilding pine infestations on the land it managed in the area.

“The challenge now is finding and removing the scattered trees that remain,” Ms Burton said.

“At this stage, every tree matters. These are often isolated trees hidden among other vegetation, and drones help us identify them quickly and accurately so they can be removed before they spread.”

At this time of year, wilding pines stood out clearly against nearby deciduous trees, making them easier to identify from the air.
The drone imagery was then used to guide ground crews directly to the trees, reducing time spent searching and allowing control work to be carried out more efficiently.

While significant progress had been made, Ms Burton said the work was far from over.
“Wilding pine control doesn’t stop once the big infestations have been removed. New seedlings and scattered trees will continue to appear, so ongoing surveillance and follow-up control are essential.
“That’s how we protect the gains already made.”

Wilding pine infestations across the Tekapo River area have been significantly reduced through ongoing control work. The focus has now shifted to finding and removing isolated trees that remain.
While small in number, these trees can still produce thousands of seeds and establish new infestations if left unchecked.
“The good news is we’re now hunting individual trees in this area rather than tackling large infestations. That’s a sign of how much progress has been made, but we’ll need to stay vigilant to keep it that way.”

The drone work, carried out by Boffa Miskell and Trap and Trigger, complemented wider wilding pine control efforts across the Mackenzie Basin, with Environment Canterbury and the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme undertaking work on neighbouring properties. — Allied Media