Photo Gallery

The natural ecological demeanour of the Sounds, resplendent in diverse native bush down to the shore.

The norm today in much of the Sounds, with wilding exotic pines well established and rapidly increasing at the expense of the native vegetation.

Wilding pines marching inland and upslope. If not stopped they will eventually coalesce to form dense stands, squeezing out the regenerating native bush.

A wilding pine seedling in an estuary margin in the Sounds, poised to rapidly out-grow the natural estuarine vegetation.

A superb example of progressive wilding pine control on the flanks of Tory Channel. The big old pines have been poisoned standing.

Beneath and among the dead pines is growing rich regenerating native vegetation, rapidly forming forest. The slow death and decay of the pines favours this process and prevents re-establishment of pines.

Felling of trees is not preferred. The trees break down a lot of native vegetation as they fall, opening the forest up to the establishment of even more pine seedlings.

Wilding pine control in action. Contractors drill holes in the trees, and inject a herbicide solution into the trunks.