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Environmentalist Russell Cullen wants to bring more native birds back into Warkworth and has a master plan to eliminate all the rats that feed on them.
Russell says an estimated 68,000 native New Zealand birds are killed every night by introduced predators such as rats, possums and mustelids – a figure confirmed on the Department of Conservation website.
“I would especially like to see the bellbird come back. I have not seen many in Warkworth at all, but there should be bellbirds all around here,” Russell says.
To better protect birds and other native animal and plant life, Russell has set up Pest-free Warkworth and is in the process of establishing a website.
Pest-free Warkworth’s first priority will be to encourage residents to place rat traps on their properties.
The goal is to have traps located in every fifth property in an area bounded by the Mahurangi River, McKinney Road, Morrison Road, Hudson Road and the Warkworth Showgrounds.
Russell has already secured support from Auckland Council for his plan, but he needs additional support from volunteers willing to set traps on their properties and check on their success in killing rats and other predators.
“I need buy-in from the community. The community really is the critical factor in all this,” he says.
Pest-free Warkworth will use the software package EcoTrack to keep a register of where all the traps are located, keep statistics on how many animals are being trapped and monitor their rate of decline.
“In the end, it may be that no rodents are being caught, in which case one could assume there are very few around,” Russell says.
He says Pest-free Warkworth will hold workshops for volunteers on taking care of the traps.
Homeowners will likely place them along fence lines or along a row of bushes in their gardens where rats are likely to roam. Traps are typically baited with peanut butter, liquorice or pieces of fish.
Russell says the Forest Bridge Trust has made presentations in schools on the virtues of a predator-free New Zealand, and it would be a nice project for parents to take on with their children.
Alternatively, Pest-free Warkworth could arrange for volunteers to maintain traps on private properties, should an individual householder be squeamish about doing it themselves.
Russell anticipates most households will use a Victor rat trap placed inside a tunnel constructed of timber. The tunnel protects humans and non-target animals from triggering the trap. The Warkworth Men’s Shed has already constructed some tunnels to help get the project off the ground.
Auckland Council has offered funding for the traps, but Russell hopes many volunteers will be willing to pay for their own to allow for the purchase of more traps.
Some volunteers will be tasked with trapping on Council-controlled land, using more powerful DOC 200 traps.
To participate, email info@pestfreewarkworth.org.nz
