What’s happening out there? Winter Edition

Winter is here, and the birds are getting close to nest-making season. It’s important to do a last flush of your bait stations and traps now, before spring, to give them the best chance of success. We’ve had reports of rats in plague proportions around the place, and chances are they’ve impacted your hay and feed if you haven’t kept on top of the situation. There are still reports of some stray stoats being enticed into traps, so stay vigilant with your DOC200s and live traps. Take note of the upcoming events (including one this week) if you need more gear, and share this newsletter with your friends in Franklin to let them know there’s help available.

In this newsletter:

  • Upcoming events
  • Introducing our new Western coordinator
  • Successes
  • Long Tail Pekapeka Bat Surveys
  • Returning packaging from used products

Upcoming events:

9th July: Pukekohe hub day, Farrell’s Nursery, 9am – 1pm

13th August: Pukekohe hub day, Farrell’s Nursery, 9am – 1pm

18th August: Bombay bait and trap day, Bombay War Memorial carpark, 9am – 11am

21st August: Friends of Te Wairoa AGM, including guest speaker on the Hūnua kōkako population recovery, Hūnua Hall, 6pm onwards.

7th September: Mangatangi & Maramarua Catchment bait and trap day, location TBC, 9am – 11am

10th September: Pukekohe hub day, Farrell’s Nursery, 9am – 1pm

8th October: Pukekohe hub day, Farrell’s Nursery, 9am – 1pm

12th November: Pukekohe hub day, Farrell’s Nursery, 9am – 1pm

10th December: Pukekohe hub day, Farrell’s Nursery, 9am – 1pm

 

Although not run by Te Ara Hīkoi/Predator Free Franklin, the Waiuku Trap Library is also open on the third Sunday of each month from 2pm – 4pm at Waiuku Zero Waste.

Please note this is by no means a complete list of upcoming events! There are always more being organised across Franklin. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and website to keep up to date with events in your area.

If you have a Franklin-based predator-free event that you’d like us to help advertise, email it through to pestcontrol@predatorfreefranklin.nz.

 

Introducing our new Western coordinator

Lesley Fox is the new western coordinator in Franklin for Te Ara Hīkoi/Predator Free Franklin. For the last ten years she has resided in Clarks Beach, having lived and worked in Franklin for most of her adult life. She has a real passion for the area and what nature has to offer in her very own backyard.

Alongside existing Eastern coordinator Lenny van Heugten, Lesley is working to support community groups conduct their predator control programmes and deliver events across Franklin. Lesley is excited to play a role in the protection of our native biodiversity in Franklin and work with a team of passionate people working towards seeing the increase and return of native species.

 

Successes

We welcome a new group in Bombay. We continue to support the following strong, community-led groups:

  • Aawhitu Landcare
  • Predator Free Whiriwhiri
  • Whakaupoko Landcare
  • The C.R.E.S.T.
  • Predator Free Karaka
  • Paerata Rise
  • Drury
  • Friends of Te Wairoa
  • Predator Free Whitford
  • Predator Free Maraetai & Beachlands
  • Clifton Peninsula
  • Mangatangi & Maramarua Catchment
  • Orere-Kawakawa (OK) Pest Free

If you belong to a Franklin-based community group not on this list, who are supporting land owners in predator control, or would like to, please reach out! You can find out more at www.predatorfreefranklin.nz or reach us at pestcontrol@predatorfreefranklin.nz

Franklin-wide, since we started recording catch via trap.nz in late 2017, we’ve almost hit 47,000 predators eradicated, including more than 14,500 possums, over 1,300 ferrets and more than 1,000 feral cats. If you aren’t recording your catch data on trap.nz yet, get into it! These numbers are crucial to build a picture of what’s happening out there and strengthens our funding applications to ensure we can continue to deliver a high level of service to communities.

Thanks to your generous donations, since 1 July 2023 we have received $5,347.41 from those that have received predator control materials, which will go towards further materials to continue to support our communities across Franklin. Donations can be made to

Te Ara Hīkoi Trust
12-3023-0111364-00

For donations over $5, email accounts@tearahikoi.nz and we can supply a tax invoice.

 

Long Tail Pekapeka Bat Surveys (February – April, 2024)

Over the autumn months, the team at Whakaupoko Landcare have been busy surveying pekapeka (bats) across Franklin with help from Ecoquest Education Foundation. Using Automatic Bat Monitors (ABMs), recent surveying has focused on gaining more data on bat activity along Auckland waterways west of Paerata and Pukekohe. Below are some of the results showing the average number of bat passes per night in 17 sites. With very high activity recorded at several sites along the region’s main waterways, the results have helped to further our understanding of the distribution of our local bat populations.

Over the past year, the Franklin Bat Project has further undertaken research to identify maternity bat roosts through radio-tracking techniques, and additionally to study the feeding locations and preferences of local populations. Generally, the results show that colonies typically occupy large, mature trees such as taraire, and that the normal feeding home range is within 2-3 km of roost sites. Interestingly, all of the surveys have only found female bats – with the question of where the males are located remaining a mystery!

As we continue to learn more about Franklin’s bat populations, a key focus is to create buffer zones around likely bat roost areas. Introduced mammalian predators (e.g., rats, possums, feral cats, stoats, and weasels) are a serious threat to bat populations, and can quickly wipe out entire colonies through predation. Therefore, as our bat populations are currently limited to small patches of mature bush, sustained and intensive predator control must continue to be prioritised.

 

Returning packaging from used products

Conducting predator control and pest plant control can result in a number of waste products, particularly the packaging. These are contaminated with toxins in some cases, and thus we need to be mindful of what we do with them next. Here at Te Ara Hīkoi/Predator Free Franklin, we’d like to reuse as much packaging as possible before it hits the landfill, to avoid further contaminating the soils there.

If you are attending one of our upcoming events and have some old pest off bags, bait buckets, cut ‘n’ paste bottles, or even any broken traps or bait stations, we’d love to have them returned. The bait packaging we can reuse to split baits, ensuring that as much as possible we are distributing baits in the original packaging. We have purchased cut ‘n’ paste in bulk, so we can refill your bottles and replace the brush heads where necessary. With broken items, we can dismantle them and either redistribute the parts that are still useful, or perhaps look to fix them.

On that note, a reminder that all baits and the pest plant gels are toxins that we are putting into the environment. They are effective, but we do need to be mindful that we use just enough, and not too much. When using these products, experiment with using just a little less than you usually would, and see whether the outcome is the same. If this is so, adjust how much toxin you are using across the board to help protect our environment from unnecessary toxin build-up.

We always welcome returned gear if you are finding it isn’t your cup of tea, or if you took a bit more than you needed. We will redistribute this and make sure it is put to good use rather than stored in a shed.

 

You have received this email as you have attended one of our events, or contacted us in the past expressing interest in what we do. You can use the link below to update your preferences with which emails you receive – you may like to double check that you are also subscribed to the most relevant mailing lists for your local community groups, so you stay up to speed with what’s going on for you locally. If you are no longer interested to receive these emails, you may also unsubscribe using the link below.

 

From the team at Te Ara Hīkoi/Predator Free Franklin, a huge, huge thank you for your support, Franklin. Our native biodiversity thanks you for your efforts too!

Happy Trapping!

info@predatorfreefranklin.nz

Autumn Updates for Western Franklin

In this brief email update:

  • Pick up your predator control gear from Farrell’s Nursery on 14th May
  • Join us to search for bat roost sites on 18th May
  • Come and listen to a talk about the Hūnua Kōkako population, and how predator control has saved them from local extinction, on 10th June

Farrell’s Hub Day

It was a great turnout last month with over 80 people from across the area. Thanks to all those who were able to donate a bit to Te Ara Hīkoi to go towards pest supplies. We are back to our normal schedule next week of the 2nd Tuesday of the month with a Hub Day on May 14th – drop in between 9.00am and 1.00pm.

The bank account to donate is

Te Ara Hīkoi Trust

12 3023 0111364 00

Thanks to over $350 of donations last month – much appreciated.

It was great to hear of all the pest control happening and the stories of more native birds around. If you are coming and you have not got the Trap NZ app on your phone, give it a go. We can help set you up on the day.

It is now great weather for planting so get organised and pick up some plants from Farrells at the same time and check out some of their great deals.

Bats – Fielday

A bit more bat surveying has been happening, confirming that we are more batty than we thought. Bats are travelling up and down the major streams including Whangapouri, (just behind Paerata), Whangamaire,  (500m upstream from Henry’s Bush) and Mauku Stream from Union Rd north to end of Findlay Rd.

We are organising a few bat fieldays to walk through bush during the day to identify what may be possible roost sites. The next fielday is planned for Saturday May 18th, 2.00pm – 4.00pm at 291 Union Rd. Dave Sutton has kindly given us permission to park in the Punchbowl Kiwifruit orchard area and explore the bush in the Mauku Tributary to the south. An interesting patch of bush that includes some large native trees and an interesting spring. (If the forecast is bad we will postpone to the Sunday – same time – and notify people via a facebook post on Predator Free Franklin).

Kōkako Guest Speaker Evening – St Brides Church, Findlay Rd, Mauku

Lenny van Heugten is kindly joining us on Monday, June 10th, 7.00pm – 8.30pm. This is to talk about her book – Stories From the Kōkako Management Area. A truly inspiring story of how the North Island kōkako have been brought back from the brink of extinction in the Hūnua Ranges over the last 30 years. This is thanks to the efforts of a network of volunteers and Auckland Council budget, staff and other scientists. Lenny will have books available on the night for $35. Bring some cash – an excellent idea to put some aside for Christmas or birthday gifts.

Looking forward to seeing you around!

Happy trapping, from the Te Ara Hīkoi and Predator Free Franklin teams.

What’s happening out there? Summer Edition

In this newsletter:

  • What we’re about
  • Upcoming events
  • Success so far
  • A case for the Tāwhiti Smartcage and trapping ferrets
  • Still need help? We can help.
  • A reminder about bait station placement.

What we’re about:

“Te Ara Hīkoi and Predator Free Franklin aim to make sustainable native biodiversity gains in the wider Franklin area by empowering and motivating community groups who share our kaupapa to coordinate local initiatives, and by providing training and employment opportunities in conservation for local residents, especially mana whenua.”

Predator Free Franklin is the support system for all community groups conducting predator control in the wider Franklin area. Through a few dedicated coordinators, Predator Free Franklin has a role in supporting community groups to continue and improve their mahi, and we help set up new groups to fill in the gaps. We facilitate collaborations and connections between local residents, volunteers, iwi, Council and contractors. If you’d like to be connected with your local predator control group, or would like to set one up in your area, please get in touch!

Email pestcontrol@predatorfreefranklin.nz.

Upcoming events:

Please note this is by no means a complete list of upcoming events! There are plenty more being organised across Franklin. Keep an eye on local Facebook pages, publications and www.predatorfreefranklin.nz to keep up to date with events in your area. We also have a dedicated Facebook page which is regularly updated with the latest locally relevant news, tips and upcoming events.

If you have a Franklin-based predator-free event that you’d like us to help advertise, email it through to pestcontrol@predatorfreefranklin.nz.

February:

18th – Waiuku Trap Library open, Waiuku Zero Waste, 2-4pm

March:
12th – Farrell’s Nursery Bait and Trap Day, Pukekohe, 9am – 1pm

15th – Ecofest begins! Keep an eye online for the month-long series of workshops and events across Auckland. www.ecofest.org.nz

16th – Ararimu Bait and Trap Day, Ararimu Hall, 9am – 11am

17th – Waiuku Trap Library open, Waiuku Zero Waste, 2-4pm

April:
9th – Farrell’s Nursery Bait and Trap Day, Pukekohe, 9am – 1pm

21st – Waiuku Trap Library open, Waiuku Zero Waste, 2-4pm

27th – Drury Bait and Trap Day, Drury Community Library, 9am – 11am

May:
4th – Kawakawa Bay Market Bait and Trap Day, Kawakawa Bay Hall, 10am – 12pm

14th – Farrell’s Nursery Bait and Trap Day, Pukekohe, 9am – 1pm

19th – Waiuku Trap Library open, Waiuku Zero Waste, 2-4pm

June:

11th – Farrell’s Nursery Bait and Trap Day, Pukekohe, 9am – 1pm

16th – Waiuku Trap Library open, Waiuku Zero Waste, 2-4pm

July:

9th – Farrell’s Nursery Bait and Trap Day, Pukekohe, 9am – 1pm

21st – Waiuku Trap Library open, Waiuku Zero Waste, 2-4pm

Successes:

We welcome new groups in Paerata Rise, Karaka and Mangatangi/Maramarua Catchment.

We’ve hit another milestone in catch numbers!

Franklin-wide, since we started recording catch via trap.nz in late 2017, we’ve surpassed 40,000 predators eradicated, including more than 12,000 possums, over 1,000 ferrets and nearly 900 feral cats. If you aren’t recording your catch data on trap.nz yet, get into it! These numbers are crucial to build a picture of what’s happening out there and strengthens our funding applications to ensure we can continue to deliver a high level of service to communities.

Thanks to your generous donations, since 1 January 2023 we have received $4,301.60 from those that have received predator control materials, which will go towards further materials to continue to support our communities across Franklin. Donations can be made to

Te Ara Hikoi Trust
12-3023-0111364-00

For donations over $5, email accounts@tearahikoi.nz and we can supply a tax invoice.

A case for the Tāwhiti Smartcage and trapping ferrets:

Of the 294 ferrets caught across Franklin since January 2023, 224 have been caught in our Tāwhiti Smartcages. One property has caught 50 ferrets in their smartcage, 2 in a DOC250, and 1 in a DOC200.

In this trail camera footage, at 1:30, you can see a ferret caught in a DOC250 that wakes up and backs out.

Need we say more? If you want to catch a ferret, you need to be live trapping. They also catch a myriad of other predators while waiting for another ferret to waltz into a trap.

HOWEVER, if live trapping isn’t for you, a DOC200 trap is a good alternative. Doing something is always better than nothing. If you’ve tried a DOC200, and struggle with the spring strength, you may like to consider the F-Bomb, a new mustelid kill-trap on the market that is much more ergonomic and easier to set. We have kindly been gifted one of these to show at our bait and trap events on the Eastern side of Franklin, so keep an eye out if you’re interested in this. https://rewild.nz/product/f-bomb/

Predators caught in live traps since January 2023:

You can purchase live cages online or through a farming store, or support us by purchasing via our website: www.predatorfreefranklin.nz

Any live cage, legally, must be checked within 12 hours of sunrise. Our Smartcages work via a sensor which alerts the owner to a catch in the trap via email, thus eliminating the need to physically check the trap daily. This makes predator control suddenly much more time effective.

Alongside the heightened success rate of catching ferrets, it’s a no brainer. What are you waiting for?

Still need help? We can help.

Te Ara Hīkoi have been lucky to receive funding via the Department of Conservation’s Jobs For Nature programme. With this money, local rangatahi have been employed to offer a free service in helping to set up effective predator control on your property and give advice on trapping methods. Staff can help install bait lines, educate on trap.nz use, and show you how the Tāwhiti Smartcages work.

If you would like to enquire as to whether your property may be a candidate for support, please email the programme manager:

Colin Pukeiti
colin.pukeiti@tearahikoi.nz

02041838226

A gentle reminder about bait station placement.

Bait stations are used to house poisons, designed to kill a target species. In our case, the target species are rats and possums. When installing or reviewing your bait station network, please do so with non-target species in mind.

  • Can children get to it?
  • Can curious cows reach it?
  • Is it safe from the dogs?
  • Is the bait storage dry and in an enclosed container like a bucket?

Use your noggin and keep the things we value safe. Baiting predators keeps our birds, bats, lizards, plants and insects safe. Appropriate bait station placement keeps our kids, stock and pets safe.

We’ll leave you with this quote:

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing, because he could only do a little.
– Edmund Burke

From the team at Predator Free Franklin, a huge, huge thank you for your support, Franklin. Our native biodiversity thanks you for your efforts too!

Happy Trapping!

info@predatorfreefranklin.nz

News from Friends of Te Wairoa

Kia ora to all Friends of the Wairoa River Catchment!

In this newsletter we have two stories – concerning ferrets (quite concerning), and concerning willows (contrastingly positive!).

Concerning Ferrets
Wairoa River catchment records for January…

  • 8 ferrets trapped in one week on Lockwood Road. 9 ferrets from this property in total this month, and one stoat.
  • 8 ferrets caught this month on Ponga Road – that we know about.
  • 2 ferrets snagged on McGregor Road.
  • 1 ferret ensnared in Paparimu.
  • 1 ferret hit by a car on Papakura-Clevedon Road, one at the Hunua/Gelling Road intersection, and one at the Hunua/Heald Road intersection.
  • 2 stoats trapped on Monument Road.
  • Ferrets sighted across Hunua and Paparimu, and some in Clevedon, during January 2024.
  • Mustelid sign, e.g. disappearing poultry, also reported across the catchment.

In conclusion… The catch numbers are high from just a few active trappers. The destruction caused by one of these animals is devastating. Do you have any catch data or sightings to add? Please email them in to us so that we can build a picture of where they are.

To get the better of this population we all need to do our bit – read on.

January and February are the best months for trapping mustelids (ferrets and stoats) as the young leave the dens in packs and are naive to the dangers that traps pose. At this stage, the young females will already be pregnant, so to trap them before they give birth is crucial. As they hang around in packs, you can often trap the entire litter within a week – as achieved by our trapper on Lockwood Road!

The best trap for successfully trapping mustelids is a double-ended live trap. These can be bought online, from predatorfreefranklin.nz or farming stores, or hired locally from Pet & Paddock in Clevedon. A double ended live trap has two open doors, one at either end, with a treadle in the middle that when triggered, closes both doors. This gives the illusion to predators entering the trap that it is safe and there is a way out (i.e. not a dead end). If live trapping isn’t your cup of tea, try a DoC200 or F-bomb trap (particularly useful for those who struggle with setting a DoC200).

Place the trap in a sheltered place, next to a retaining wall or under a flax bush, or near the chicken run. Use fish skin, rabbit or possum meat, or some scraps from your dinner meat to bait the trap and lure them in – they are attracted to protein.

Once caught in a live trap, shooting is the most humane option to deal with the animal. A high-powered air rifle will do the trick and does not require a gun license, or a good relationship with a neighbour who has a license will help.

Once the deed is done, rub the body of the animal over the trap to transfer the scented oils and draw any other mustelids in the area into the trap. If you have a garage freezer, consider saving the body for research. Double bag the body, write on it the address it was caught at and the date, and pop it in the freezer. Contact us to arrange pickup or drop-off ASAP. The research will analyse DNA and other metrics to better understand the local populations, and thus devise better methods for eradicating them from Aotearoa.

And finally, don’t forget to send your catch data through to pestcontrol@tewairoa.org.nz or enter it into trap.nz. A massive thankyou to those who are regularly reporting catch tallies via the trap.nz app. You’re welcome to email any catch data since 1 July 2023 to me to upload on your behalf, so that we can ensure our records are as accurate as possible and reflect our work, and provide accountability to our funders who allow us to purchase predator control gear to distribute. It is vital to build a picture of what we are trapping and where, so that we can better support communities as a whole and continue to motivate each other in this marathon to get to Predator Free 2050.

Concerning Willows: a personal story to start 2024.

With the crack willow eradication campaign well underway now, we thought it time to remove Willow’s willows (if you know, you know…). Our reasoning was two-fold – to lead by example, and to give the methods a shot and make sure we could make them work. So, just before Christmas my sister and I headed down the hill to the stream, armed with an electric drill and a 10mm drill bit, a spare battery, and some glyphosate, undiluted in a spray bottle labelled ‘TOXIN’, with the nozzle set to jet.

From the driveway looking down, it was easy to spot the lush green foliage of the willows in the stream. We made a beeline through the undergrowth towards them and found the culprits relatively easily. The problem they create was clear – these were old trees with multiple trunks. At some point, those trunks had weakened and split apart, yet continued growing. One tree had become five trees, and where the now horizontal trunks dipped into the soil, each connection had grown further roots. A willow that Willow had chopped into logs and left where they lay, had rooted from the logs and was ready to continue growing. See in the image below the healthy red willow roots growing on the trunk and infiltrating the stream sediment.

Upon finding the main trunk of a willow, Melle drilled a 5cm deep hole low down on a downwards angle and a little to the side, rather than straight into the core. I then followed with the spray bottle and filled the hole with glyphosate, being careful to spill as little as possible. We wanted to contain the toxin in the tree so that it’s use was targeted, as we were well aware any toxin is not something to take lightly in the environment. Melle would then drill the next hole a hand’s width from the last one, and I would fill that too until we had drilled and filled holes all around the trunk.

It took us about 1.5 hours to drill and fill 13 trees. The main delays were avoiding filling our gumboots with swamp water or ending up face down in it, and the drilling itself. We found that willows are quite soft, so the drill bit often got clogged and needed to be wiped clean once or twice for each hole we made. After a misjudged step, I did find myself on my backside at one point in a fit of giggles, but these moments make the experience fun and filled with memories, rather than a chore!

We found some neat pockets in amongst the willows on our bush bashing journey. At one point I looked up and found a very large clump of native orchids, Earina aestivalis, growing on a branch. Biodiversity is all around us, if we just keep our eyes peeled. And it’s worth protecting.

So now when you drive Hunua Road between Gelling Road and Paparimu, take note that the iconic Willow’s willows are dying or dead (see the yellow foliage in the image below). We’ll have to plant something else iconic in their place – maybe some kahikatea to hold the banks, since there’s some remnant forest further upstream!

Watch this video for why we want to eradicate willows from the Wairoa River, and how to do it yourself. Next year, we hope to progress on the project and amp it up in scale, getting some further assistance for residents.

Upcoming events:
In 2024, we will be holding a volunteer/open day at the community nursery on the second Wednesday of each month from 8.30am – 10.30am. Find us on the right up the driveway next to Art Industry on the Clevedon main street.

  • 14 February
  • 13 March
  • 10 April
  • 8 May
  • 12 June
  • 10 July
  • 14 August
  • 11 September
  • 9 October
  • 13 November
  • 11 December

The community nursery welcomes locals to come and purchase plants for their property, at $2 each. Contact info@tewairoa.org.nz to visit the nursery by appointment, or pop in during one of our open mornings.
Together, we are working towards restoring the mauri of the awa. We’d like to thank you all for your ongoing support of the mahi we do. It’s what keeps that ball rolling forward.

Happy trapping and planting,

Lenny van Heugten
Communications and Predator Control Co-ordinator
Friends of Te Wairoa
info@tewairoa.org.nz

News from Friends of Te Wairoa

Kia ora to all Friends of the Wairoa River Catchment!

Friends of Te Wairoa are closing off on a highly successful year. We have continued to work with you, the landowners, to collectively improve the health of the Wairoa River. Bit by bit we make a difference, as we provide education opportunities and physical resources to arm you with the tools needed for ecosystem restoration.

Our crack willow eradication programme has begun, and we are encouraging residents to deal to any trees on their property. Crack willows can regrow from any broken pieces. Fallen branches block the waterways and continue growing, creating dams and diverting waterflow, leading to erosion and increased flooding risk. Watch this video for why we want to eradicate the willows, and how to do it yourself. Next year, we hope to progress on the project and amp it up in scale, getting some further assistance for residents.

The Hūnua Halo is going from strength to strength, as more and more properties that border the Hūnua Ranges undertake predator control in order to protect the taonga species that reside within the forest. We have been working with other community groups to extend this concept around the entire Ranges, to reduce reinvasion of predators from surrounding farmland.

A massive thankyou to those who are regularly reporting catch tallies via the trap.nz app. It really helps to efficiently keep track of what’s happening out there. You’re welcome to email any catch data since 1 July 2023 to me to upload on your behalf, so that we can ensure our records are as accurate as possible and reflect our work, and provide accountability to our funders who allow us to purchase predator control gear to distribute.

Christmas is on its way, and we have a challenge for you. This year, we challenge you to give back to the whenua. Here are some ideas:

  • Plan a low-waste celebration, by choosing locally made gifts with little packaging
  • Re-use wrapping paper or wrap gifts using fabric or scarves
  • Make Christmas cards with a personal touch by using cut outs from advertising material and previous years cards
  • Buy a native tree to use as a Christmas tree, and then plant it on your land. You could build a small forest of native ex-Christmas trees if you pick up this tradition!
  • Ensure food scraps are composted, to help replenish our top soils that have eroded away or been depleted this year.
  • Check and rebait your traps and bait stations before going away. Remember to unset any live traps on your property.
  • If you head into the water, take a bucket to pick up some beach or stream-side rubbish while you’re there.

Upcoming events:

In 2024, we will be holding a volunteer day at the community nursery on the second Wednesday of the month from 8.30am. Find us on the right up the driveway next to Art Industry on the Clevedon main street.

  • 10 January
  • 14 February
  • 13 March
  • 10 April
  • 8 May
  • 12 June
  • 10 July
  • 14 August
  • 11 September
  • 9 October
  • 13 November
  • 11 December

The community nursery welcomes locals to come and purchase plants for their property, at $2 each. We have a selection of $1 seconds, and if you wish to save even more money, you can purchase a small tray of 100+ seedlings for just $5 to prick out yourself and grow on ready for the Winter planting season. At the moment, we have Carex umbellata and Cabbage tree seedlings available, and a wide range of other plants ready to be planted. Contact info@tewairoa.org.nz to visit the nursery by appointment.

Together, we are working towards restoring the mauri of the awa. We’d like to thank you all for your ongoing support of the mahi we do – it’s what keeps that ball rolling forward. We’re excited for what 2024 has in store for us, and look forward to continuing to provide the services that have become our core business, and adding another layer of normalised everyday conservation to that. Enjoy the season, and we’ll see you again next year for more positive outcomes for our whenua!

Happy trapping,

Lenny van Heugten
Communications and Predator Control Co-ordinator
Friends of Te Wairoa
pestcontrol@tewairoa.org.nz

Join our team!

Predator Free Franklin are looking for a co-ordinator to support community groups doing predator control on the Western side of Franklin and optimise predator control across the region.

This is a paid position up to 20 hours per month. We are seeking a resident (or future resident) of Western Franklin, with website and social media skills and a desire to learn best practise predator control methods.

 – Job Description

About

“Te Ara Hīkoi aims to make sustainable native biodiversity gains in the wider Franklin area by empowering and motivating community groups who share our kaupapa to coordinate local initiatives, and by providing training and employment opportunities in conservation for local residents, especially mana whenua.”

Te Ara Hīkoi is a relatively new organisation, which has been established by existing landcare groups, iwi, and central and local government agencies working in the Franklin area to strengthen local community biodiversity initiatives. The major driver behind the establishment of the organisation is to coordinate community-led predator control efforts in the Franklin area and parts of North Waikato. The three significant landcare groups in the area (Friends of Te Wairoa, Whakaupoko Landcare and Āwhitu Landcare) and local iwi have been collaborating very successfully with predator control programs over the past 4 years, and these efforts were recognised with a mayoral conservation award for collaboration, and a Jobs for Nature grant which enables the organisation to train and employ a team to perform pest control on high biodiversity sites in the region. Te Ara Hīkoi is open to supporting any local organisation sharing the same kaupapa. It is widely supported by Auckland and Waikato Regional Councils, DoC, local iwi, and numerous community groups with whom it interacts.

Te Ara Hīkoi has been established to generally enhance biodiversity, but current efforts are focussed on predator control initiatives. Residents of Franklin are encouraged to develop predator control programs on their properties through community-led events (Bait and Trap days) which involve education and then the supply of bait and traps to participants. Participants are kept up to date and motivated through a variety of channels. Uptake has been very strong and currently approximately 15-20 % of residences are enrolled in the program.

Technology is an important component of the program with the use of Trap NZ software and ongoing development and trial of smart connected traps and associated aerial networks.

The role

The role has two main components.

The first is to stimulate community predator control efforts in Franklin, to the west of the Southern motorway. This involves supporting existing community groups to continue their efforts, identifying groups in unsupported areas to undertake predator control initiatives, and supporting them to do so using techniques that have been successful in other local communities. Local community organisations are empowered to help members start predator control programs on their properties. The coordinator will work with existing organisations to increase the numbers of participants and will focus in areas where there is little current coverage. There will be emphasis on working with properties which include areas designated as BFA’s or SNA’s, and coordinating with a team of JFN trappers.

The second aim of this role is to ensure the processes employed by Te Ara Hīkoi run efficiently. In order for Te Ara Hīkoi to support other organisations, the maintenance of the Predator Free Franklin website is key. This is a central source of information, resources, news, schedules of events, and information about local community groups. It is widely used and is the public face of Te Ara Hīkoi. The website contains a database of participants in the program which requires frequent updating as numbers grow, and is used to send regular newsletter updates on Predator Free Franklin activity. 

The coordinator would be expected to attend regular meetings and contribute to regular reports on outcomes.

There is a significant component of collaboration and communication required in the role. Te Ara Hīkoi is very highly networked in the community and the coordinator supports the community organisations we work with, and also interacts with local and central government organisations, local businesses, vendors such as Trap.NZ, schools, and individuals.

The Coordinator will be supported and supervised by the Eastern Coordinator, and by community coordinators working for CREST. This is a paid position – with the Coordinator contracting their services to Te Ara Hīkoi on a self-employed basis.

Position details

PositionWestern Coordinator
Position OverviewCoordinate the existing community groups doing predator control on the Western side of Franklin and optimise predator control across the region, with a focus on protecting high biodiversity areas and reaching unsupported communities, alongside maintaining the Predator Free Franklin website.
What they would be doingCommunity Group Coordination Work with community groups to maximise effectiveness of predator control initiativesOrganise bait and trap eventsArrange ongoing equipment and bait suppliesTroubleshootingOrganise regular communications with participantsMaintain database and records   Website Development and Maintenance Review, maintain and continue to improve the functionality of the website   Collaboration Maintain regular communications with program participantsMaintain central database and recordsInteract with outside organisations including local government bodies, sponsors and other funders.   Administration Manage incoming communicationsAttend regular management meetingsContribute a monthly report on activity, as well as reports to funders
Specific skills / knowledge requiredGreat people skills – personable, an active listener Organisational skills – Self-motivated and enthusiasticComputer skills – website management experience is idealFamiliarity with Trap NZ software and app. Familiarity with best practice trapping methods, or a desire to learnCurrent drivers licenseLives within the Western Franklin District, or an affinity with the area or intent to become a resident
Proposed hours20 hours per month
Hourly rate$35/hour
Position annuityMaximum of $9000 Milage will be paid at 95c/km up to $1000 annually

Further information

Glenn Richards

Trustee – Te Ara Hīkoi

021 930 119

glennr99@icloud.com

Kia ora, Whitford!

Kia ora trappers!

We hope you are busy checking and baiting traps as the bird nesting season is well underway. We’d love to see more of those rarer species making a comeback in our area, so keep up the good work. If you are running low on gear, we have good news. Read on (and note the change in location)…

Bait and Trap Day, Sunday 26th November, 9am – 11am, Whitford Tennis Pavillion

We are back in Whitford on Sunday 26th November, from 9am – 11am, with a bait and trap day. We’ll be onsite to help you with materials and advice to get you started on your predator control journey.

Predator Free Whitford love nothing more than to help out and start you on your journey in making New Zealand predator free so our native birds can survive and thrive. We can only do this with your help, by working together.

Our funding is thanks to a number of sources which a small group of people apply for with incredible dedication annually. We are competing with other groups in New Zealand for these funds, who all carry out incredible mahi. Due to high demand from the community, we ask for help in paying it forward by giving a donation. This may help us fund the shortfall that happens as demand for our support continues to increase and inflation kicks in.

As an indication of the approximate cost of pest control materials:

  • 10kg Pestoff costs $51.80
  • A white Philproof bait station costs $11.80
  • A black Pied Piper bait station costs $16.77
  • A Flipping Timmy possum trap costs $51.20

And these prices are WITHOUT GST!

If you would like to help us keep moving forward, donations can be made to:

Te Ara Hīkoi Trust
12-3023-0111364-00

If you do make a donation over $5.00 you can email accounts@tearahikoi.nz for a tax invoice. We are also open to accepting cash donations on the day.

Any donations (gratefully received) will be used entirely in the purchase of further predator control materials to aid those less able to afford their own. By giving out predator control materials our aim is to reduce the barriers between landowners and effective, consistent pest control – cost being one of them.

We also welcome any returned materials, or donations of new or second-hand predator control materials. If you took too much bait, or don’t feel confident setting a trap that you took home, we would love to see it back no questions asked. These resources are best used in the community rather than collecting cobwebs in a shed.

Finally, we’d like to thank you all for your ongoing support of the mahi we do. It’s what keeps the ball rolling forward.

From the team at Predator Free Whitford and Predator Free Franklin

AGM Whakaupoko Landcare 9 October 2023 @7pm

To Members and Friends of the Whakaupoko West Franklin Landcare Group

You are receiving this email to let you know that we are holding our AGM on Monday 9th October at 7.00pm. The venue is the St Brides Church Hall, Findlay Rd.

You are welcome to attend, and we look forward to seeing you there.

At this stage we have not scheduled a guest speaker, but it will be good to have a catch up. Hub days are back up and running. There has been quite a bit of tree planting and trails work happening across the wider area.

Please note any questions on the 2022-2023 Financial Statements are to be with Cameron Smith by the 20 September 2023.  Email  cameronsmith547@gmail.com so that an answer can be found.   This will be tabled at the AGM.

Please find attached:

  • Minutes of the 2022 AGM
  • Treasurers Report
  • Financial Statements prepared by Hunter Withers Accountants.
  • Copy in the Incorporated Society’s Certificate.

If predator control is getting on top of you, you’re finding it hard to keep up, or struggling with the size of your property, there is help which you can access for free. Predator Free Franklin have been recipient of a significant amount of funding via the Department of Conservation’s Jobs For Nature programme. With this money, local rangatahi have been recruited to aid landowners in their predator control efforts across the Franklin area. If you would like to enquire as to whether your property may be a candidate for support, please email the programme manager Colin Pukeiti at colin.pukeiti@tearahikoi.nz.

Finally, we’d like to thank you all for your ongoing support of the mahi we do. It’s what keeps that ball rolling forward.

Debbie Turner

Secretary

 

News from Friends of Te Wairoa

Kia ora to all Friends of the Wairoa River Catchment!

There are many new recipients of this newsletter – welcome! We have recently merged two separate mailing lists. One was minimally used, so has been brought over to this platform. Hopefully, you’ll find the 5 newsletters per year from us of interest! We cover a variety of conservation-based topics and various local upcoming events and workshops to help you on your journey – after all, if our goal is to restore the mauri of the Wairoa River, all of us have a part to play and we should play to our strengths.

If you are not interested in receiving these emails, or you have moved out of the area, please feel free to use the unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email. But we do hope you stick around!

Wednesday 20th September

Hūnua Hall, 6pm

Food and drink provided – please RSVP via info@tewairoa.org.nz for catering purposes

James Talbot from WaterCare will be speaking about the felling of pine forests in the Hūnua Ranges and their replacement with native plants, protecting the Auckland water resource and enhancing local biodiversity and habitat.

You’ll also have a chance to hear about what we’ve been up to and what we’re planning for the coming year. All are welcome to attend, and in particular we welcome anyone interested in joining us on the committee.

If you want to know a bit more about our local conservation history, order a copy of the recently published book ‘Stories from the Kōkako Management Area’ by our very own Lenny van Heugten. This book follows the decline and then the growth in the kōkako population in the Hūnua Ranges, and the stories of those involved in the project over the years, including many familiar local names and faces.

Books are $35 to purchase from www.friendsofhunuaranges.co.nz. Profits will be used by our mates, Friends of Hūnua Ranges, to continue to enhance the Hūnua Ranges for future generations of plants, animals and people.

Willows… not the human kind, which is arguably benefitting the environment (if you know you know!), but the tree-type…

We’re working on a plan to eradicate crack willows along the Wairoa River. Willows contribute to blockages and flooding, and broken branches will easily root in river banks downstream. You can help us by beginning to control some of the more manageable trees on your property, or offering to help your neighbours.

The best method is to drill holes in the trunk and fill with undiluted glyphosate. This will only be effective during active growing months, September to February. The number of holes to drill and fill with depends on the width of the trunk at shoulder height. Each branch should be treated as a separate tree.

Width (cm) 10-20 25 35 50 80 100-110 120 125 135 140 160
# of holes 1 2 3 4 6 8 9 10 11 12 13

Using a 6 – 10mm drill bit, make holes 4 – 8cm deep, evenly spaced as near to the ground as possible and into prominent roots, on a 45° downward angle and 30° inward towards the centre. The hole should be just deep enough to contain 10ml of herbicide.

Apply glyphosate immediately after drilling, filling the hole to the edge to ensure uptake by the tree in the active outer layers. Use something like a drenching gun or sauce bottle with a longer nozzle and a cap to seal it. Ensure you label your vessel clearly as used for herbicide. Plugging holes after filling is unnecessary as the hole is drilled at a downward angle.

This method will kill the trees and leave them standing – a great way to maintain bank stability while new plants establish underneath, but poses a danger where branches may fall. Use your best judgement in this case.

For skinnier trees where drilling won’t work, you can frill the tree and paste with glyphosate gel. Cut in the tree and pasting the stump is ineffective as cut branches and debris are likely to grow roots and form new trees, including from mulch.

In predator control news…

Friends of Te Wairoa have been working hard with landowners to get mammalian predators in our area under control, and we’re making some significant headway! We currently have 20% of landowners in the Wairoa River catchment area trapping and on our database, and residents have reported over 16,000 predators trapped in the past four years. This is an outstanding achievement, and our next goal is to strengthen the halo around the Hūnua Ranges to protect our taonga species that reside in the forest, including the kōkako and our long-tailed bats.

Please contact pestcontrol@tewairoa.org.nz if:

  • You need predator control gear (bait, bait stations and traps) to get started on your property
  • You have an existing programme in place but want a visit to review whether you’re on the right track

A massive thankyou to those who are regularly reporting catch tallies via the trap.nz app and email. It really helps to efficiently keep track of what’s happening out there. If you haven’t already, try signing up to trap.nz and join the Friends of Te Wairoa project. We can arrange a 1 – 1 tutorial on the use of the app if needed.

If predator control is getting on top of you, you’re finding it hard to keep up, or struggling with the size of your property, there is help which you can access for free. Predator Free Franklin have been recipient of a significant amount of funding via the Department of Conservation’s Jobs For Nature programme. With this money, local rangatahi have been recruited to aid landowners in their predator control efforts across the Franklin area. If you would like to enquire as to whether your property may be a candidate for support, please email the programme manager Colin Pukeiti at colin.pukeiti@tearahikoi.nz.

Finally, we’d like to thank you all for your ongoing support of the mahi we do. It’s what keeps that ball rolling forward.

Happy trapping,

Lenny van Heugten
Communications and Predator Control Co-ordinator
Friends of Te Wairoa
pestcontrol@tewairoa.org.nz

AGM Whakaupoko Landcare 9 October 2023 @7pm

To Members and Friends of the Whakaupoko West Franklin Landcare Group

You are receiving this email to let you know that we are holding our AGM on Monday 9th October at 7.00pm. The venue is the St Brides Church Hall, Findlay Rd.

You are welcome to attend, and we look forward to seeing you there.

At this stage we have not scheduled a guest speaker, but it will be good to have a catch up. Hub days are back up and running. There has been quite a bit of tree planting and trails work happening across the wider area.

Please note any questions on the 2022-2023 Financial Statements are to be with Cameron Smith by the 20 September 2023.  Email  cameronsmith547@gmail.com so that an answer can be found.   This will be tabled at the AGM.

Please find attached:

  • Minutes of the 2022 AGM
  • Treasurers Report
  • Financial Statements prepared by Hunter Withers Accountants.
  • Copy in the Incorporated Society’s Certificate.

Debbie Turner

Secretary