The research happened a decade ago now – this paper was published back in 2008 – but how many people have even heard of the large, carnivorous Mercury Island tusked weta (Motuweta isolata), let alone the extraordinary story of its step back from the cliff-face of extinction? Despite its large … [Read more...] about How a tusked, carnivorous weta was saved
Sanctuaries and projects
Mice numbers in the absence of mammal predators
House mice are the smallest mammal predators to have been introduced to Aotearoa/New Zealand since humans first arrived here around 1280AD. The mice arrived on European ships by the 1820s and nowadays they are present in most habitats throughout the country. Worldwide they are among the world’s most … [Read more...] about Mice numbers in the absence of mammal predators
Upscaling restoration – 8 things to consider
Public conservation land is only a small proportion of the total land of New Zealand and isn’t necessarily representative of the full range of ecosystems. David Norton (School of Forestry, University of Canterbury, Jason Butt (Environment Canterbury) and David Bergin (Environmental Restoration Ltd) … [Read more...] about Upscaling restoration – 8 things to consider
Poor fliers reluctant to cross water
Passerines are songbirds which can perch. More than half of all bird species are passerines and many of those found in Aotearoa/New Zealand are unique. Some, such as the South Island saddleback, South Island robin and mohua also have a few other attributes in common: they’re rare, very vulnerable to … [Read more...] about Poor fliers reluctant to cross water
Eradication – what about the social impacts?
Predator Free Great Barrier or Stewart Island? It’s already technically feasible. But is it socially feasible? When it comes to complete eradication of predators on inhabited islands there’s a lot more to consider than just the conservation benefits and technical aspects. People, their livestock, … [Read more...] about Eradication – what about the social impacts?
Survey investigates huge volunteer contribution
It has been estimated that between 25,000 and 45,000 people belong to community-based environmental groups in New Zealand. That’s a lot of volunteer work and, as the estimate was made in 2011, numbers since then are likely to have grown. There’s also a pretty wide range of uncertainty in those … [Read more...] about Survey investigates huge volunteer contribution
Achieving a predator free Banks Peninsula – costs revealed
In geologically ancient times, Banks Peninsula was a group of volcanic islands and even now is only connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. That makes the Peninsula of particular interest as a possible trial site for non-fenced mainland predator eradication. So could it be done? … [Read more...] about Achieving a predator free Banks Peninsula – costs revealed
PF 2025 interim goals – what will it take?
Last year, when the NZ Government announced its Predator-Free 2050 goal, it also included some interim goals to be achieved by 2025 – now just eight years away. One of those goals is that: ‘by 2025 we will have eradicated all mammalian predators from New Zealand’s island nature reserves’. It … [Read more...] about PF 2025 interim goals – what will it take?
Serendipity helps Hochstetter’s Frogs
When planning began for Maungatautari Ecological Island Sanctuary, no-one knew that a population of New Zealand’s endemic Hochstetter’s Frog lived within the sanctuary’s planned fenceline. For once, one of our threatened species was in the right placed at the right time and it's discovery was an … [Read more...] about Serendipity helps Hochstetter’s Frogs
Landholders and landscape scale predator control
We can do island eradications. We’re the world’s best at it. Mainland, regional-scale predator control is one of the next big predator-free challenges and a key part of that challenge is getting every landholder behind the project. What happens if some landholders don’t want to be involved? Will … [Read more...] about Landholders and landscape scale predator control