From pests to peace and joy: Turning Canterbury wilding pines into Christmas trees

With Christmas just around the corner, the crew at High Country Contracting in South Canterbury have decided to sell wilding pines as Christmas trees for a charitable cause.

• This story was first published by RNZ

Wilding pines are classified as a pest in New Zealand, and Khan Adam and his crew cut down thousands each year.

The trees are being sold for $25 each with the proceeds going to the I Am Hope charity.

Khan Adam said a few of the crew had been playing around with the idea for a while.

'We just thought about all of the little we trees getting cut down year in and year out. The idea of giving the proceeds to charity just worked in really well."

Audio: RNZ

Adams said wilding pines can become a huge problem.

"Certain species mature a lot earlier than others and the spread is really bad and up in the high country with the prevailing winds can spread really easily.

"It's definitely an issue to watch out for."

The crew is warning the public that wilding pines aren't perfectly grown and have a bit of character to them

They will also need to be properly disposed of after use to ensure there is no environmental risk.

• To find out more visit the Givealittle page.