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Forest & Bird is celebrating the installation of their 100th predator control line on the Coast.
The milestone 100th trapline was put in at the Forest School at Hatfields Beach. Children, parents and staff from the outdoor school will look after the traps, joining a team of more than 120 trained volunteers who maintain the growing network.
Forest School co-founder, Gavin Murdoch, says two possums were caught in the first few weeks.
“This shows our tamariki that even our seemingly small contribution, when partnered with the wider community, can really make a difference,” Gavin says.
The traplines have been going in since 2014 and are looked after by Pest Free Hibiscus Coast. Each line consists of a series of traps across an area, targeting different pest species – rats, stoats and possums. The aim is to eliminate these pests from Whangaparāoa Peninsula, and surrounds, creating a safe haven for native wildlife.
Pest Free Hibiscus Coast manager, Jenny Hanwell, says in addition to the trapline network of over 1800 devices, more than 1500 locals are participating in backyard trapping to increase the coverage of pest control through their neighbourhoods. Volunteers contribute more than 5000 hours every year to the project.
“We’re already seeing the benefits of pest control, with exciting results from our bird surveys,” Jenny says. “We’re always looking for new people to help, and there’s a role for everyone.”
The organisation recently received a grant for $39,700 from Auckland Council’s Community Conservation Facilitation fund to continue the project into next year.
Info: www.forestandbird.org.nz/projects/pest-free-hibiscus-coast
