Tasman’s dry, hot climate and an abundance of highly flammable plants means fire is a real risk in Abel Tasman National Park. The Fire Smart programme was set up to tackle this problem.

Project Janszoon worked on three fronts. Removing highly flammable gorse to reduce fire risk, planting natives to build natural resilience to the effects of sea level rising, and making the dunes more aesthetically pleasing.

None of the dune work could be achieved without huge efforts from wonderful volunteers including Birdsong Trust and Forest and Bird members, and students from our Adopt a Section schools. Not only did they help with planting, but they also assisted in the much less glamorous work of weeding.