An intricate web of ecological, technological, and logistical challenges makes it clear that, much like the Fellowship in Middle-Earth, a diverse range of tools and skills is required. To protect 34,000 hectares from mountain to sea the Taranaki Mounga conservation project uses every available tool. Getting it right can potentially improve the fortunes of native … Continue reading Predator control: there’s no one tool to rule them all
For years, Reino Grundling was living two lives. He worked in the complicated world of international logistics by day, but his real passion was volunteering to trap and control possums, stoats, and rats across Wellington in his spare time. International logistics was a career that spanned more than two decades of Reino’s life. “It sounded … Continue reading From corporate life to conservation – how one man made the switch
For Birdsong Opānuku Trust, success is spelled with three Ps – predator trapping, people, and planting. While the focus has primarily been on trapping, the West Auckland conservation group is branching out, literally and figuratively, in an effort to involve more of the community and create a thriving ecosystem that can support a diverse range … Continue reading The 3 Ps: creating a thriving ecosystem in West Auckland
Wildlife photographers reveal the untold stories behind their stunning shots, and we launch our first-ever, Shoot Your Shot competition with Photo Warehouse (now closed). For every stunning wildlife photo you see, there’s a story. When the opportunity for an incredible photo arises, it’s fleeting – just a moment to capture the moment. When it happens, … Continue reading Shooting their shot: the stories behind the stunning photographs
This Wellington community group shares their secret recipe for success. Once every fortnight, a ping can be heard across hundreds of households in the inner Wellington suburb of Ngaio… It’s the e-newsletter from Predator Free Ngaio – a kind of community noticeboard connecting more than 600 households to the latest news, anecdotes, predator capture data, … Continue reading Bird banter: how Predator Free Ngaio grew a thriving community
Meet the F-Bomb: the latest predator trap invention. Lightweight, simple and easy to use, is it the key for the wider public to get into trapping? The next time you’re taking a walk through the bush, listen closely. Amidst the wind whistling through the native trees, the birdsong and the babbling of a nearby stream, … Continue reading Dropping the F-Bomb: the latest new trap tech
In the struggle to achieve its predator free status, Kaipupu Sanctuary faced unexpected challenges, including inadvertently training a population of rats to avoid traps. Stepping onto the floating jetty at Kaipupu Sanctuary in Waitohi (Picton), you’re greeted by a wall of native bush and a chorus of birdsong. The peninsula, a short jaunt from the … Continue reading How a wildlife sanctuary accidentally trained rats to avoid traps
The key to keeping track of your contribution to predator free 2050 is likely already in your pocket. You might even be using it to read this story. Logging when a trap goes snap may seem like a tiny drop in the ocean. But when combined with others in the community, it can create a … Continue reading Why does logging your trap results matter?
The search for native reptiles is a bit like a Hollywood drama. There’s adventure and suspense, elation and heartbreak and sometimes, despite overwhelming odds, the main character gets what they’re after. If anyone knows this, it’s Sam Purdie – even if he can’t find the words to describe it. The herpetologist, wildlife photographer and science … Continue reading The reptile files: your guide to identifying reptiles and amphibians in Aotearoa
If you’re reading this because you clicked on a social media link, this story is for you. Before you got here, you were probably scrolling aimlessly through your feed, and somewhere between the ad for pet food, the latest celebrity scandal and a viral TikTok recipe, you saw this post, which made you stop. Maybe … Continue reading Click for conservation: Can social media make a difference for native species?
When it comes to protecting the native and endemic wildlife of Aotearoa, a pen and a camera are just as vital as traps and bait. Across the motu, artists and creatives take inspiration from our wild environments and the special animals which call them home. Their art is a celebration of these unique species but … Continue reading The art of conservation: How artists are helping save our wildlife
Predator Free Riccarton is one of the newest community trapping groups in Christchurch and there’s plenty of work ahead for the tenacious group of volunteers. For Jade Humphrey, the future is birds. Lots of birds. But as the founder of Predator Free Riccarton, the present is rats. Lots of rats. “We were doing monitoring and … Continue reading ‘Putting power in their hands’: the student teaching a community to trap