We’re back in your inbox again, because it’s (the end of) school holidays and that means it’s time for another baiting pulse! For those of you who are new to the mailing list, we send out a newsletter five times per year (in line with school holidays) to keep you up to date with our latest local conservation-based news, but also to remind you that it’s time to check and refill your bait stations, and set your traps. For those of us with busy lives, it’s easier to do this a few times a year, than to do it continuously year-round. Service your traps a few times in the next month, and then let it rest again until you receive the next newsletter from us!
We have organised a Bait and Trap day to round out the year, and catch some of you before you jet off into the summer holidays. Come and see us at the Paparimu Hall on 2 November between 10am and 12pm. Drop in and chat to our experts about predator and pest plant control on your property, and walk away with some free gear to get you going, or top up your existing arsenal. We’re excited to welcome Scott from Watershed Shoot along, who will be volunteering to help share his predator control expertise with the community too. As always, a koha is appreciated to help us pay it forward to the next property that needs our support. Bank transfer information will be available on the day.
Pro tip: the last hour is always quieter, perfect for answering more intricate questions or an extended chat with the team.
- A possum trap installed on a tree with significant possum scarring damage from their claws.
Friends of Te Wairoa have been busily in recruitment mode and we’re happy to report we are welcoming Chris Marshall, from Hūnua, into the role. He will be a familiar, approachable face for many, and for those that don’t yet know him, you’ll have the pleasure of meeting him soon. The Catchment Regeneration Coordinator role is aimed at stimulating restoration of native vegetation in the catchment through education, removal of pest plants, and making native plants accessible for restoration plantings. It is exciting to be progressing this alongside our successful predator control programme. While we induct Chris into the behind-the-scenes of working for Friends of Te Wairoa, please direct any enquiries to info@tewairoa.org.nz.
- A native greenhood orchid. They are flowering at the moment – see if you can spot them in the forest!
We’ve been very pleasantly surprised to see a Koi Carp fishing competition enter the Franklin arena! It’s great to see a fishing competition targeting a pest species rather than native taonga species. Koi Carp are a noxious fish present in the Wairoa River that alter the riverbanks to the point of destroying suitable habitat for many of the native species living within it. Koi Carp eat many of the species that we are trying to protect, and as such are designated by DoC as an unwanted organism. Registrations open from 22 September to 29 October, led by Franklin Young Farmers, with weigh in from 7-9 November. Email franklin@youngfarmers.co.nz for more information and to register!
In a new and exciting development, we’ve been working alongside Auckland Council and Clevedon residents to set up a volunteer-managed possum trap line in Te Nikau Pā, the scenic reserve in Clevedon. Please leave the traps alone to be cleared by our trained volunteers, and ensure your dog is kept on a leash as required in this reserve. We look forward to seeing the impact we can make by knocking down possum catch rates in the ngahere!
- Group of volunteers installing possum traps in Te Nikau Pā, under the guidance of Auckland Council local parks ranger.
If you have privet on your property that you are looking to control, we’ve been posting a series of Q&A on our Facebook page about how best to remove privet, from a local resident who has been tackling a big infestation! If you aren’t on Facebook, flick us an email and we can send the information through to you directly.
And finally, the regular reminder to report your catch to our Predator Control coordinator, so that we can accurately report back to our funders, and keep this service and support going for as long as we can! If you aren’t entering your data directly into trap.nz, please email it through to pestcontrol@tewairoa.org.nz.
For more information or questions, email info@tewairoa.org.nz.
Together, we make a difference.