Island recovery left to happen naturally
Often when predators are eradicated from an island, it’s the first stage in planned reintroduction of native species to the sanctuary, but 26 years ago…
Award recognises huge efforts of tiny Arthur’s Pass community
Arthur’s Pass Wildlife Trust (APWT) doesn’t have a huge population to call on for its conservation work. There are only about 30 people living permanently…
Rivercare group shares predator control outcomes
Eric Spurr and Nicholas Ledguard from the Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group share the results of their group’s extensive predator control and bird monitoring work from 2000-2015…
Mentor’s advice still relevant for Craig Gillies
When Craig Gillies from DOC’s Hamilton office first started studying feral cats at the University of Auckland, he visited Department of Conservation ‘old hand’ Dick…
When rats come back…
Predator control operations are just that – they control mammal predators but do not completely or permanently remove them. Survivors breed and slowly rebuild the…
Genetic profiling reveals source of invaders
Genetic profiling sounds like something from a crime thriller, but it is a modern scientific technique that can be used to better understand the dispersal…
Prof Carolyn King is enthusiastic supporter of community efforts
Professor Carolyn (Kim) King has spent a lifetime studying New Zealand’s introduced mammalian predators and is recognised as an international expert on mustelids. She’s worked…
Measuring biodiversity outcomes
A huge effort has gone into controlling possums across New Zealand for a number of years, particularly with respect to TB eradication efforts, but what…
NZ tracking technology goes global
In the small urban satellite town of Mosgiel, just down the motorway from Dunedin, you’ll find the home base of a GPS system called ‘TracMap’.…
Bird by-kill – what research reveals
If you find a dead bird in an area after a toxin operation it’s an easy leap to say “the poison did it”. But was…
Public attitudes to pest control – what does NZ really think?
Those with the most passionate and strongly held views tend to have the loudest voices in public forums – but do they represent what most…
Old water reserve becomes ‘ark to the future’
In Nelson they’re building an ark to the future. The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is at the site of a long-abandoned water reserve – a huge…
Catching rats – getting the basics right
This is not about an amazing scientific breakthrough in new toxins or lures. It doesn’t reveal a science-fiction-like technological invention or genetic modification to wipe…
Whakatane groups unite to help kiwi
Whakatane, Eastern Bay of Plenty – it’s the Kiwi Capital of the World! According to the town’s official website, kiwi (the feathered sort), can be…
Book: Bringing back the birdsong
With intensive pest control, the Doaks have witnessed a dramatic recovery of the native flora and fauna. In ‘their coastal slice’ the natural world has…
