Aims of the Project

The Project focuses on invasive vines that threaten our native forest and animals in Golden Bay. The vines targeted are Banana Passion Vine, Old Man’s Beard and Climbing Asparagus. These vines smother and strangle our forests forever changing the unique biodiversity of species that live in them.

Through the successful raising of funds for weed control, Project De-Vine has been able to establish a paid team of workers who carry out the vine control work. They work as contractors on private properties in funded areas as well as undertaking contract work on Tasman District Council and QEII lands.

Volunteers assist our paid team during working bees on some properties to support local owners and promote vine control work. Project De-Vine works closely with the Tasman District Council, the Department of Conservation and Project Janszoon, a trust set up to assist DOC to control pest plants and animals in Abel Tasman National Park (ATNP) and re-establish key native birds.

A close working relationship between these groups has enabled better targeting of control efforts with more effective outcomes. By working in the areas adjacent to ATNP, Project De-Vine is playing a vital role in the buffer zone around the park to control the spread of vines. So far, Project De-Vine has moved progressively from the Pikikaruna range escarpment around Rocklands Road, through to a wider area from Birds Road to Rameka Creek.

A third area joins on to the other projects and extends from Birds Road to include all of the township of Pohara to Matenga Road at the start of Ligar Bay, where work is about to begin.
Seeding finance recently obtained extends to a fourth area, from Ligar Bay, via rural properties behind Tata Beach to Wainui and up to the boundaries of ATNP.