Pingao Restoration at Waipapa Point
Forest and Bird Southland have been attempting to restore a population of the native sand binding grass, Pingao, beneath the Waipapa Point Lighthouse. The native pingao is an attractive golden colour, however naturally grows in moving sands, so the marram that dominates the site is not an ideal companion plant. Marram was introduced by early settlers to stop sand movement, and is still used for this purpose in places. Rabbits also have a preference for pingao, so protectors are required to stop nibbling. The local sealions also cause havoc with the plants at times as they lollop amongst the sandhills. However watch this space as further restoration work is undertaken.
Posted on: Sunday, 15 March 2015
