For nearly a decade, the Trust has been writing all things predator free from breakthrough science to the best baits to try. Have you read our most popular articles?
7 surprising facts you should know about possums
At one point, possums in New Zealand rivalled the sheep population.
Brought into New Zealand to start a fur trade in 1837, the brushtail possum population exploded beyond settlers’ wildest dreams (or nightmares) to an estimated peak of 70 million possums in the 1980s, same as sheep. It has taken us more than a hundred years to understand the gravity of the damage they do to our environment.
Troubleshooting tips: What to do when your rat trap isn’t catching any rats
We’ve pulled together some tips to make your trap more effective. Get to know your rats, pre-feeding, moving your trap around – all the tips you need to get more results with your trapping.
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.
Give your birdlife a boost and create a possum nightclub
A possum nightclub might sound like a conservation nightmare, but it’s a great way to give your birdlife a helping hand.
Possums breed in March and April and again in September and October. During this time, they’re really promiscuous and are out socialising and moving around a lot.
Better baits and better trapping
Peanut butter has long been used as a bait for rat traps. Possums have a fondness for the scent of cinnamon.
But are they the all-time favourite foods of rats and possums? Researchers at Victoria University of Wellington used chew cards to check out what really tickles the tastebuds of two of our more common urban pest species. Home trappers might like to give these food lures a go too…
Stoat research is not for the squeamish
When Jamie McAulay opens his mail in the morning, he often finds “a lovely, delightful, maggoty mess!”
Jamie is a Master’s student in the University of Otago’s Zoology Department and lately conservation volunteers and professional trappers from Nelson to Fiordland have been posting him their dead stoats.
PekaPeka bird feeder is a winner for its Dunedin designers
Harvey Penfold is a product design student and Tahu Mackenzie is a Education Officer at Orokonui Ecosanctuary just north of Dunedin, and together they’ve designed an innovative bird-feeder.
The PekaPeka was designed and tested as part of a Citizen Science project that is ongoing in their Northeast Valley community.
How well do we really know our kiwi?
Not everyone can tell a mohua from a yellowhammer or even a kea from a kākā, but it would be a pretty rare New Zealander who didn’t know a kiwi when they saw one.
It’s probably our most recognisable bird, but how well do we actually know our kiwi – really know them?
Possums and more possums – is a fur trade the answer?
Possums – those cute Aussie furballs are decimating New Zealand forests – so why don’t we just develop our fur industry and make money from the problem? After all, that’s why they were introduced to New Zealand in the first place.
More rural employment, less possums – the bush grows back and New Zealand’s rural communities grow a new industry. What’s not to like?
Hot bug summer: 5 cool facts about New Zealand’s cicadas
The cicada chorus can signal the beginning of a long hot summer. From bizarre fungal enemies to world record titles, here are some of the most exciting facts about Aotearoa New Zealand’s cicadas. They’ll be sure to leave you listening to their songs with a new level of curiosity.
