Kereru © James Allan
5th August 2024
From January 2024 to July 2024 our network of trapping groups caught a total of 8140 mustelids, hedgehogs, possums, feral cats, rats and mice. This time last year our catch total for the same species was 5087! The biggest increase has been in possum catches, due to the introduction of self resetting AT220s. We are now regularly removing over 1000 predators a month from the Whakatipu!
The graph compares January to July in both 2023 and 2024. The unspecified category are catches that were not able to be identified, usually related to AT220 catches.
Great work everyone, lets keep this momentum going!
So far in 2024 we have recruited and trained nearly 50 new trapping volunteers. A big welcome to all our new volunteers!
We have also trained 17 keen bird watchers at our recent beginner birding course. We learnt how to use the Merlin and E-Bird apps to both learn to identify our local birds and start to do bird counts.
Whakatipu Wildlife Trust plans to roll out a community based bird monitoring programme so that we can increase our community’s nature literacy and also better understand the benefits and outcomes of our trapping activities. Keep an eye on our Facebook page and emails for more opportunities to get involved in this space.
The Whakatipu Wildlife Trust has had several grants approved recently for more traps and bait.
A recent grant from the Mazda Foundation allowed us to purchase more AT220s that are now being installed on traplines in Arrowtown close to Tobin’s Track and also at Jack’s Point. Another recent grant has allowed us to install a new trapline of DOC200s in Bush Creek along the Wildcat track.
We were grateful to recently receive a grant from Love Queenstown which will provide us with funds to purchase for AT220 lure and batteries for our community groups.
Applying for fundraising and meeting the reporting requirements for grants takes a lot of time. Fundraising is an important way the Whakatipu Wildlife Trust supports our community trapping groups, and enables volunteers to spend their time doing what they love – trapping!
Below are the Arrowtown volunteer team installing the new DOC 200s on Wildcat.
We have had a shortage of rabbits for bait for a while, apologies if any of you have gone into the freezer and found it a bit empty!
Happily QLDC as well as a few other local legends have rallied together and donated us rabbits for bait, so we should have good supply ongoing. We also have plenty of eggs from Royal Burn and Tree Range – huge thanks to them!
We also have containers of flour based possum blaze available next to the freezer, many thanks to Bidfood NZ for donating the ingredients! Use the blaze to create a visual lure and scent trails around possum traps and box traps. Bring back the empty containers so that we can refill them.
We do try to have bait chopped for our volunteers, it is not always possible. We find the easiest way to chop up a rabbit at home is with an axe, hatchet or meat cleaver on a chopping block. It is best done while the rabbits are still mostly frozen. If you are happy to chop up your own, then please do so – thanks all!
It would be great to have some more rabbit shooters on call in case we get low again – so if you know of anyone, please let us know.
Below is one of the new self-resetting AT220 traps on the Tobin’s line, already catching possums!.
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