During the field inspection for the proposed tenure review of Morven Hills pastoral lease in 2015, members of the Lindis Pass Conservation Group discovered a single mature kowhai tree (Sophora microphylla), the only one known in the Lindis Pass area.
It is located on a steep, west-facing hillside among rock outcrop at an altitude of 863m, within the Lindis Pass Scenic Reserve in the headwaters of Pass Burn (Otago side of the Pass).
A few young seedlings have been observed growing around the tree but no saplings, most likely indicating all seedlings are eaten.
Seed has been collected from the tree and successfully propagated into healthy young trees by Group members and Otago Polytech in Cromwell.
Over the past year, 43 kowhai trees have been planted in groves in favourable locations below and within 300m of the mother tree, each protected in a large wire cage from hare and deer browse.
Kowhai trees were common within woody vegetation that once covered Central Otago.
Sadly today, only highly fragmented small remnant groups or individual trees remain, some of them very old.
In 2011 the Department of Conservation (Doc) launched Project Gold, an initiative to re-establish kowhai populations in Central Otago and "ensure a golden future for Otago".
Group members are determined to bring kowhai and the bird and insect life it supports back into the Lindis Pass.
The group’s next objective is to grow trees from seed of other kowhai trees in the ecological district to plant with the trees already planted, to improve the genetics and ensure resilience in the growing population.
They have also been carrying out other conservation work over the past 20 years that will ensure a golden future for the Reserve and adjoining conservation lands of the Lindis Pass.
An annual activity is the planting of snow tussocks (Chionochloa rigida) into bare and historically disturbed areas.
This began in 2010 supported by funding from the Doc Community Conservation Fund and later through ECAN.
The tussocks have had a high rate of survival and have visibly improved the cover of localised areas.
Seed is collected every summer and propagated at Cromwell Polytech.
Under remaining funding, the group hopes to plant out another 1500 tussocks. This is typically done every autumn.
This work season the group has been supported by ECAN (through the Upper Waitaki Water Zone Committee) with funding for Mackenzie Country Contracting to work alongside Doc to control Russell lupin.
This highly invasive weed plant has spread along creeks and into the adjacent tall tussockland of the valley floor in the head of Longslip Creek.
The target area is the corridor of reserve and conservation land extending 3.25km north from the Lindis Pass. This collaborative effort includes Waka Kotahi, which will spray the highway corridor, and group volunteers who will continue to carry out control in the reserve and monitor for new populations.
In the work season just passed the group received ORC Ecofunding for contract spraying of lupins on the Otago side.
While this effort was very successful, a repeat application to the Ecofund to continue the work for another three years was not successful.
As there is a persistent lupin seed bank in the soil, group volunteers will also be busy controlling the inevitable fresh lupin growth on the Otago side this year.
The Lindis Pass Conservation Group warmly welcomes new volunteers. There are one or two workdays a month from October to May, the timing of which is largely dictated by the weather. Transport and tools are provided.
If you would like to join our volunteer group to work in this outstanding landscape or want to know more about the Group’s work, please contact Anne Steven on 021 293-9207, a.steven@xtra.co.nz, or find the Lindis Pass Conservation Group on Facebook.
— Anne Steven
