Hurunui Weedbusters Tackled Old Man’s Beard at Port Robinson

23 November 2024

Volunteers at the Port Robinson working bee on Saturday 23rd November were treated to spectacular ocean views looking out over the cliffs, before we hiked down the path to enter a tangle of Old Man’s Beard that has established in the northern part of the reserve.

Under the guidance of Andrew Ashley, who does volunteer work at the reserves and also as a DOC contractor, our task was to locate and poison the base roots of these messy, smothering vines. The job involved a lot of scrambling through the undergrowth and coordinated team work. It took sharp eyes to identify the leader stems and each successful lopping and paste application felt hugely satisfying.

These coastal reserves south of Gore Bay have been transformed by extensive native revegetation undertaken by the Port Robinson Reserve Advisory Group. Since the early 1990s local volunteers have established many thousands of plants and also do trapping and weeding. Our group of Weedbusters was thrilled to see such mature regeneration and hear the likes of wood pigeons (kereru), fantails (piwakawaka), kingfishers (kotare) and even a tui!

© 2023 Hurunui Biodiversity Trust