Environment – Why every trap matters

With spring upon us, it’s the time of year when many native birds begin nesting. From late September through to February, chicks will be in the nest, making this a crucial window for trapping to protect them and improve their chances of survival.

Stoats may be small, but their impact on our native wildlife is devastating. These relentless hunters pose one of the greatest threats to species such as bellbird, tui, tomtit, tara iti and kiwi with a staggering 95 per cent of kiwi chicks dying before their first birthday in areas without pest control.

To give a little context, stoats are built for speed and survival. Because they struggle to store body fat, they must hunt constantly. Their diet includes insects, eggs, chicks, adult birds and even animals larger than themselves. Running around in the wild, a single stoat can live up to two years and kill around two birds each day. That’s about 1460 birds lost to just one predator.

But trap one stoat, and you’ve potentially saved those birds. Every trap laid, every volunteer hour, every backyard effort – it all adds up. This is the scale of the challenge we face, and the reason we remain committed to protecting our native species.

The Brynderwyn Ranges are more than just a beautiful backdrop – they’re the closest land point to our offshore predator-free islands. That makes them a vital landing zone for native birds returning to the mainland. If we can keep this area safe, we give these birds a fighting chance.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be releasing our annual Kiwi Survey (2025), which will provide the community and our sponsors with an update on the progress we’ve made protecting kiwi in the ranges. Keep an eye on our website or drop us an email. A heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers and backyard trappers. Your work is making a real difference.

If you’d like to get involved – whether it’s setting traps in your backyard or helping maintain traplines – we’d love to hear from you.

The Piroa Conservation Trust will supply traps, bait and placement advice. In return, we ask participants to log their catches so we can track progress and focus our efforts effectively. Together, we can make the Brynderwyns a safer place for our native wildlife. One predator at a time.

Info: predatorfree@piroaconservation.org.nz