Turning an environmental problem into a commercial success, Wilding & Co clears and controls the spread of wilding pines in Central Otago, and distils them into essential oils.
Wilding pines, a native of North America, are strangling New Zealand’s natural environment and grow at the rate of twenty times faster than in their native homeland.
Moreover, the spray used to control the spread of these invasive unwanted trees is toxic in itself making for a double whammy cause for concern. The Wilding team have developed a socially minded business model that harvests young wildings, and transforms them into high-value essential oils used in fragrances and other consumer products for the perfume, essential oil and anti-bacterial cleaning products industries.
3:33 PM Friday Oct 17, 2014, Element Magazine, NZ Herald