understand what animals and plant species occupied a section of the bush, with Taranaki Regional Council Education Officer Emily Roberts. This set the scene for the type of work that followed; predator and trapping analysis, bird counts, and the first steps to build a lizard lounge – a man-made haven where lizards can hide and take cover when feeding and resting. “Understanding the birdlife and other important living things already in the area was really important,” Woodleigh School teacher Sharon
years ago. She’s recently included rat traps too. Ms Thompson and other New Plymouth urban residents are the focus of a region-wide biodiversity project, Towards a Predator-Free Taranaki, which is supporting Taranaki’s wildlife, native plants and healthy ecosystems. “If I can do it anyone can” says Tricia. Towards a Predator-Free Taranaki is working to ultimately get rid of introduced predators from the region - on urban and rural land and across Egmont National Park – and prevent re-infestation.
town today (Friday 25 January) after celebrating their wedding in Ireland, where the bride hails from. They’ve been working in the zero possum area, for Taranaki Regional Council, together with Oākura locals, community groups, Taranaki Mounga Project and Taranaki Regional Council, as part of Towards Predator-Free Taranaki. However, the newly-wed couple are calling on Oākura residents to help eradicate possums - reporting any suspected possums in the area to them 24/7 on 0800 736 222 “We can’t do
road from Sally's place. Sally is currently in the process of placing a QEII covenant on a lake, a large old oak tree, and a pocket of native bush located on her property, which was all once farm land. Sally says that it was her grandparents Stella and Percy Webster's vision to preserve the land for their family and for the future. Their influence had been passed down through the generations, says Sally. "The Taranaki Regional Council along with QEII, NZ Walkways, DOC and Wild For Taranaki (the
Hundreds of Taranaki people have already become urban trappers, doing their bit for our precious biodiversity. Why don't you join them? To support our native wildlife and plant diversity, one in five New Plymouth households needs to be actively trapping rats. David MacLeod, the Taranaki Regional Councill Chairman, explains why in this short video: Urban trapping in New Plymouth Get involved and get trapping Off to a good start in New Plymouth
Off to a good start — the existing predator control
has been the greenskeeper there for 17. With help from the Taranaki Regional Council and support from the course committee and members he and his team have been able to install ten DOC 200 and two A24 rat & stoat traps across the 40-hectare course. After some successful results catching rats over the past month Steve says course members are really keen to volunteer and have put their hands up to get involved. “We have a weekly newsletter where I post what we’ve caught in the traps over the week,
landscape-scale predator control on urban, rural and conservation land, Mr Shanley says. A collective effort by local residents, Taranaki Regional Council, Taranaki Mounga, an ecological restorative project on Egmont National Park, local iwi and schools is helping remove rats, possums and stoats to restore native biodiversity in the area, as part of Towards Predator-Free Taranaki. Mr Church hasn’t seen a possum on his property since September 2019, but understands they are skilled at staying out of sight. If
never-before-recorded information will be shared with other regions to help achieve the nation-wide ambition to remove all rats, stoats and possums from New Zealand by 2050. New Plymouth farmers Steve and Daphne Tarrant, of Waiwhakaiho, have been trapping possums and stoats on their 18-hectare farmlet for the past five years and are looking forward to easier trapping and removing more predators with the new technology. “We have bellbirds, tui, and pigeons come in the late afternoon, I can get away in a world of my
Taranaki’s native wildlife, predators and urban trappers are in the spotlight, with some species and trap catches under surveillance 24/7, providing live data. Scientist Halema Jamieson, from Taranaki Regional Council, leads the region-wide monitoring that’s shining a light on native wildlife, plants and the predators that threaten them - rats, mustelids (stoats, weasels and ferrets), possums, and feral cats – as part of the region-wide project Towards Predator-Free Taranaki. The latest
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