Kayak and glacier guides are turning their hand to clearing the country of wilding pines.
It's all part of a $1 billion government programme to get those laid off due to Covid-19 back in to work.
So far the Department of Conservation has rescued 340 former hospitality and tourism workers from the dole queue and put them to work doing much needed pest control and track maintenance.
Wilding pines are at the top of the hit list in the Craigeburn Forest Park west of Christchurch, where they shade out native tussock and manuka and smother the habitat relied on by native birds and insects.
Conan Young and cameraman Nathan McKinnon headed in to the mountains west of Christchurch where the battle against the poisonous pines is in full swing.
