Lindis Pass Conservation Group volunteers Chris Piner and Jan Kelly secure a young kōwhai within a deer-proof cage in August. PHOTOS: ANNE STEVENIn 15 to 20 years we should be seeing a new kind of gold in the hills of the Lindis Pass — a type that is dug in rather than dug out! Seed has been collected from the tree and successfully propagated into healthy young trees by Group members and Otago Polytech in Cromwell. Kowhai trees were common within woody vegetation that once covered Central Otago. 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".

Source: Otago Daily Times November 23, 2024 15:28 UTC