Yesterday, the Rotary Club of Oamaru held a Christmas tree sale in Oamaru’s harbour area, but it was more than just a fundraiser.
Instead, it was a way to remove unwanted pines from Oamaru’s Cape Wanbrow.
For the past six years, the Waitaki District Council has been working with various community groups to plant native trees on the cape.
During this time, unwanted wilding pines have cropped up.
As a means to tackle the issue and spread some Christmas cheer, the council asked the Rotary Club if it would like to take the trees away to sell.
The answer was yes.
Last Friday and Saturday, about six Rotary members traversed the cape and collected more than 100 pine trees.
Rotary Club member Ele Ludemann said although the trees were not a pest, they were ‘‘the wrong trees in the wrong place’’ and it was an environmentally sound way to get rid of them.
Rotary Club president Jim Hopkins said the group had made a modest impact in removing the unwanted pines.
It was the second year the club had run the fundraiser, and within the first hour had sold between 50 and 60 trees.
He hoped the fundraiser would get bigger each year.
The trees were sold at upwards of $10, and all the funds raised would go to various community projects.
