Ten thousand dollars worth of trees from Wānaka’s Matukituki Natives nursery have been used to restore a wildlife management reserve in Central Otago.

Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) EcoFund is supporting an Otago Fish & Game project to restore the Bendigo Wildlife Management Reserve near Cromwell.

A group of ORC councillors and staff were shown around a planting area at the Fish & Game-managed reserve on Thursday (July 25).

Fish & Game officer Ben Sowry highlighted some of the challenges of wetland restoration while thanking the ORC and community volunteers who had helped Fish & Game plant more than 3,000 native plants at the reserve since 2022.

“Bendigo is an excellent example of community members and organisations such as the ORC and Fish & Game pulling together to enhance these precious ecological areas,” he said.

“Getting communities involved gives people a more intimate relationship with these wild places.”

Two successful rounds of funding applications from ORC’s EcoFund allowed Fish & Game to purchase $10,000 worth of trees from Matukituki Natives nursery.

The 158-hectare reserve is one of several wetland restoration projects supported by Fish & Game’s habitat enhancement fund which redistributes diversion fees for angling and game-bird hunting offences.

As well as native planting in the reserve, the priority has been addressing the encroachment of willow species choking islands and river channels, to restore critical habitat for waterfowl.

“In addition to conserving protected wildlife, Bendigo is a valued kai basket and recreational area,” Ben said.