Love the idea of attracting native wildlife into your backyard? Here are 5 ways to make your garden a safe haven. 1. Trap rats Attracting native species to your backyard is great but make sure it’s a safe place for the birds, bugs and lizards that visit. A smartly-placed trap … [Read more...] about 5 ways to make your garden a safe haven for native species
Research
7 surprising facts you should know about possums
The possum was introduced three years before the Treaty of Waitangi was signed and can now be found throughout the country, all the way from Rakiura Stewart Island to Cape Reinga. It has taken us more than a hundred years from when possums were first introduced here to understand the gravity of … [Read more...] about 7 surprising facts you should know about possums
Maukahuka Pest Free Auckland Island: Will it work?
This week marks the publication of the Maukahuka Pest Free Auckland Island project report on the technical feasibility of eradicating pigs, cats and mice from Auckland Island. This is the most significant milestone since the eradication of pigs from the island was first raised in 1982. Over the … [Read more...] about Maukahuka Pest Free Auckland Island: Will it work?
Bats influenced by rainfall when visiting unique ‘wood rose’
Short-tailed bats are the main pollinators of New Zealand’s only fully parasitic flowering plant – the wood rose (Dactylanthus taylorii), known to Māori as te pua o te rēinga. Both the bat and the wood rose are endangered, but we still have a lot to learn about the feeding/pollinating relationship … [Read more...] about Bats influenced by rainfall when visiting unique ‘wood rose’
Breeding wrybills face multiple challenges
Wrybills, the little shore birds with a bend in their beak, are only found in New Zealand. They breed on the South Island’s braided rivers with well-camouflaged eggs and chicks to help protect them from flying predators. But camouflage is no protection against mammal predators who hunt by … [Read more...] about Breeding wrybills face multiple challenges
Predator pitfalls for live-trapped lizards
A common way to monitor what insects or lizards are around, is to use a live-capture pitfall trap which skinks, geckos and ground-based insects then fall into. With lizards, slices of pear or sometimes petfood are used to attract them to the trap. The Barber pitfall trap - essentially a plastic … [Read more...] about Predator pitfalls for live-trapped lizards
Sheep, beef farms have significant conservation potential
Productive land such as farms, horticulture and lifestyle blocks make up 60% of the land area in New Zealand and often contains native vegetation. Such land could – and often already does – make a significant contribution towards conservation goals. But currently we know very little about the amount … [Read more...] about Sheep, beef farms have significant conservation potential
Waikato pest distribution, detectability studied
A recent study by Brandon Breedt and Carolyn King provides the first estimates of the proportion of the Waikato Region occupied by each of the target introduced mammal predator species. The results offer a warning to pest managers that pests are more widespread and harder to remove than is commonly … [Read more...] about Waikato pest distribution, detectability studied
If our native birds were gardeners, what would they plant?
Native plants are a good way to attract native birds to your garden. No matter how small, you can always make your backyard more attractive to native birdlife by providing food, water, shelter, and nesting places/materials. Puriri tree. Photo credit: Jon Sullivan You can break down the … [Read more...] about If our native birds were gardeners, what would they plant?
7 surprising facts about hedgehogs
Hedgehogs were first introduced in New Zealand in the 1870s to make British settlers feel more at home. Now, 150 years later, the impact hedgehogs have on our native species is only just being understood. For a long time they were seen as innocuous garden inhabitants, but with more research … [Read more...] about 7 surprising facts about hedgehogs