Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust

28/05/2026

A great video has just been made explaining the wilding conifer issue and how we can win against contorta pine. Check it out.

26/05/2026

The Wilding Pine Network are hosting the national wilding conifer conference in Invercargill. Some great field trips are planned.
Please head to the website and register today. 11-13 August 2026

11-13 August, Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill This year’s conference theme is Collective Action, Future Impact: Partnering for Resilient, Wilding-free Landscapes. Registrations are NOW OPEN for the 2026 Wilding Pines Conference – a partnership between... Read more

26/05/2026

Our Chair, Ali Ballantine, was invited and presented at the recent government announcement of additional national funding for wilding conifer control. An additional $79 million over the next three years bringing the total to $109million. Southland and Mid Dome hope to be recipients of this additional funding. Check out the comments for the full announcement.

22/04/2026

Great article on Jeff Keen one of our newest trust members. Jeff has been fighting wilding conifers on his family farm on the outskirts of the Mid Dome area. As Jeff says we need to keep a "foot on the throat" of wilding conifers. Check out the article in the comments below.

19/04/2026

The Whakatipu Wilding Control Group joined the Mid Dome trust at an Environment Southland workshop last week to discuss the wilding issues in Southland and in particular at Mid Dome.
Consistent funding, better legislation and national lobbying were some of the key messages as the Mid Dome trust continues with underfunded contorta battle and the Douglas fir invasion that is happening across Southland but particularly in the northern Southland area.
Check out the articles below in comments

31/03/2026

Great article following the Glenaray High Country Station field day with Federated Farmers. View below is looking west towards East Dome, with Mid Dome in the distance behind (cant see it). The country in the foreground has had wilding contorta on it which the Mid Dome trust removed in 2009 and handed the land back to landowners to look after, but unfortunately contorta is still turning up in some corners. It is also now threatened by Douglas fir that has been found at East Dome and is over 10km from the closest seeding tree. Read the article, link found in the comments

13/01/2026

Great opportunity to join the Whakatipu Wilding Control Group. Contact them if you are interested

🌲Volunteer Event | Sunday, 01 February 2026 | Queenstown Hill 🌲

Ready to work off the Christmas excesses? Come along to our next Wilding control event on Queenstown hill on Sunday the 1st of February. Our friends at the 4WD Club will be providing some very scenic transport to get us to our work site, where we will clear Wildings with some amazing views for a few hours in the morning. We will provide all the tools and knowhow, so bring along your friends or family!

Keen to get involved? Find our more info and sign up here: https://forms.gle/jjiUSdJdxau76BsM6

We hope to see you there!

04/01/2026

Wilding conifers are invading areas of Southland and dramatically changing the environment. Natives are being replaced by wilding conifers. Check out the video in the comments where Sherman Smith, Manager of the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme shows you a video of the invasion and loss of biodiversity in other areas of New Zealand. This is happening in Southland - photo is from West Dome on the edge of the Eyre Mountains.

04/01/2026

MPI have made some great new videos sharing the wilding conifer story and why they are are a threat to our environment. Check out the video in the comments section.

03/12/2025

Another great story
Evolving wilding pines swallow up the South Island's high country - Newsroom

The trees' spread across the southern high country is ramping up a gear, as the worst seeders proliferate and evolve to better their chances of survival.