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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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. Toxoplasma gondii (T.…
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,…
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…
The 3 Ps: creating a thriving ecosystem in West Auckland
For Birdsong Opānuku Trust, success is spelled with three Ps – predator trapping, people, and planting. While the focus has primarily been on trapping, the…
A tour of toroa
More kinds of toroa (albatross) breed in Aotearoa New Zealand, than anywhere else in the world. Get to know them this World Albatross Day and…
Animal welfare agencies’ views on cat management
Recently several animal welfare, conservation organisations and government agencies submitted their thoughts on national cat management. It may be surprising that there was a lot…
7 surprising facts you should know about possums
At one point, possums in New Zealand rivaled the sheep population. Brought into New Zealand to start a fur trade in 1837, the brushtail possum…
