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Volunteers standing in Whitby with traps and plants.

Funding milestone ignites Predator Free Communities across Aotearoa

Today marks a milestone as we grant an unprecedented $92,000 to support 23 remarkable predator free community initiatives. We select outstanding Predator Free Communities from…

Comic: solving the rat surge puzzle

Comic: solving the rat surge puzzle

This comic is brought to you by the talented illustrator Sarah Maybe Little, explaining a study into where surging rat numbers come from during high-elevation…

Elephant weevil.

5 weird and wonderful native animals that aren’t birds

Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity extends far beyond our feathery friends. Prepare to be wowed by these five native species, from bizarre fuzzy weevils to very…

Man checks a Sentinel possum trap.

Troubleshooting tips: what to do if your possum trap isn’t catching any possums

So, you’ve set your possum trap, hoping to make a dent in the possum population destroying your fruit trees and eating birds’ eggs and invertebrates…

Volunteers planting native trees on a hillside

How to make sure your native plants take root

Winter is the ideal time for planting native plants, as the cold temperatures and rainfall help trees and shrubs get a chance to settle in…

A rat in Fiordland surrounded by measuring tools.

Study reveals surprising insights on rat behaviour in NZ forests

If we can understand how invasive species use different habitats, we can better predict how their populations might change due to climate change. In a…

DOC predator free ranger Tim standing by a tree with heaps of traps

Attention: predator free ranger on the loose

Tim Exton is a man on a mission. As the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) predator free ranger for eastern Te Waipounamu (South Island), Tim spends…

Waiter hands with platters holding different lures.

What’s on the menu? 5 lures that aren’t peanut butter

Is peanut butter not attracting predators like it used to? Let’s shake things up with five lures that’ll make your trap the hottest dining spot…

Pests, traps and some native wildlife on the left versus all beautiful native wildlife on the right.

Suppression vs eradication – what’s the difference?

The words “suppression” and “eradication” get used a lot in the predator free movement. But what do these terms actually mean? While suppression (also known…

A big blue takahē in the tussock

A dreamy new takahē book hits the shelves

Conservation success stories don’t get much more dramatic than the tale of the takahē. Takahē: Bird of Dreams takes readers on the rollercoaster of takahē…

Two cats playing chess

5 ways to up your game as a responsible cat owner

Do cats rule us, or do we rule cats? When your fluffy friend lounges across your laptop keyboard or nibbles you on the ankle when…

A man in life jacket on a small dinghy in Fiordland

Tackling Fiordland: DOC calls in apprentice backup

In a daring expedition on the high seas, predator free apprentice duo Aidan Braid and Jamie Hickling tackled coastal trapping head-on.  With the Department of…

Little spotted kiwi

Unseen threat: sanctuary kiwi exposed to parasitic disease from cat scat

A recent study has found high exposure rates of toxoplasmosis in a kiwi population that does not share its habitat with cats. T.gondii has been…

A rat trap in the middle with question marks surrounding it.

Is your bait disappearing, but you’re catching nothing?

Every trapper has felt the same frustration at checking a trap and finding the bait gone, but the trap still set. Who is the culprit,…

A sacred kingfisher on a powerline

What bird is in my backyard?

Are you a pro at spotting tūī and kererū? Here are five more native backyard birds to get to know. Use appearance, sounds and behaviours…