Environment – The power of community

By Adele Mangnall – Piroa Brynderwyn Trust

During the first week of January, I had the pleasure of walking the incredible Kepler Track in Fiordland National Park, using Mangawhai Trackies legend Gordon Hoskings’ Kepler Track tramping guidebook. Thanks, Gordon!

What stunning landscapes, with majestic peaks, serene lakes and lush forests never ceasing to amaze me. Yet, as I hiked along the track, I felt a sense of sadness as the once-familiar chorus (I was born in Te Anau) of native birds was now conspicuously absent. The forest, which was once alive with native birds, is now eerily quiet. It was a stark reminder of the relentless threat posed by predators.

It reiterated to me the remarkable achievements made in the Brynderwyns. Dedicated locals have made significant strides in dramatically reducing the number of rats, mustelids, feral cats and possums in our area. The concerted efforts have delivered tremendous results, as many native bird populations are flourishing once more. The regular sound of bellbirds, bittern sightings and the night calls of kiwi serve as a testament to the power of community-led conservation. A massive thanks to all involved.

One of our ambitious projects, in partnership with the Shorebirds Trust, is to accelerate our Predator Free Urban Mangawhai initiative. We (Piroa Conservation Trust/Shorebirds Trust) know there is still much work to be done, but the region has immense potential with the active involvement of the community.

Much motivation comes from the Wellington/Miramar initiatives that are yielding incredible results for urban areas which once would not have imagined it possible. What if every backyard in Mangawhai had a rat trap? Our volunteers have untiring determination, so we are now reaching out to more fellow nature enthusiasts, local community members, students, and landowners to get involved. Together, we can enhance our environment where our gardens and forests once again echo with abundant native birdsong.

Once we progress Mangawhai in the coming months, we will add Waipu to our focus and launch our Predator Free Waipu project to support the great work many rural parts of Waipu are already undertaking.

With strong community buy-in, trapping grows community cohesion and enables individuals to connect beyond differing views and backgrounds; everyone is in it together. Like the Wellington projects, we believe that conservation efforts serve as a medium to build both community and environmental health.

Help at hand

Predator Free Urban Mangawhai is a volunteer, not-for-profit, community effort to rid urban Mangawhai of predators. We’ll help you get started trapping in your backyard for free. We can help with an array of traps and advice, or you can volunteer with one of our community groups. Drop us an email at predatorfree@piroaconservation.org.nz.

Find out more about one of our other big goals for 2025 – we are embarking on a journey to reintroduce native species that have long been absent from the Brynderwyn ranges.

Find out more here https://www.pbl.org.nz/page46.html