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!