First up we have been going about 13 weeks and have knocked out 116 pests, 11 mustelids, and the rest rats, so a significant impact on predators. This means that this spring we will likely see more chicks hatch successfully and not get eaten before they even leave the nest. We may not notice but more seedlings will reach maturity, more lizards will get to breed and more insects will be around to feed out native birds, rather than rats. That is all the better for the whole forest.
Another significant feature of the trapping programme is that 4 of the 5 trappers are not mountain bikers or TMBC members, but locals in our community who want to make a difference like we do, and enjoy hearing birds in the bush.
More great news is that we were successful in applying for a $5,000 grant to add possum traps to our trapping effort. We hope to expand our line to include the Waiotahi, so watch this space. A big thank you to Wayne, Brian, Kim, Logan, and Ric for their effort on our trap line, checking on average once a week.
If you are keen to join the volunteer trapping team, get in touch via the button options below
Comments