Trapping Pests on Boulder Bank Day?

Hi Guys  and Girls

I’ve been contacted by Ivan Rogers at DoC Motueka, regarding a pest trap building day and subsequent deployment and management of approximately 130 traps set along the entire length of the boulder bank. This’ll be the first time the boulder bank has been conscientiously trapped for pests. 

I live at the Glen and work at the Cawthron hatchery down the boulder bank and have already set up a few DOC 200’s in wooden boxes to help keep the rat, stoat, weasel and hedgehog numbers at bay.  I’ve been doing this around the hatchery grounds for three years and have noticed a healthy improvement in stilt and gecko numbers in the immediate vicinity. There’s a load more plant, invertebrate, reptilian and bird species that will benefit directly from intensive trapping.

What we’re keen to do is to have a trap building day at the Cawthron hatchery one weekend and involve folk living and recreating around the area and who have a keen interest in the biodiversity and health of the boulder bank reserve.

Would someone from the NBSC be happy to represent the local surfers and come along to a meeting at the hatchery at 6pm on the 5^th June for a planning session? We’ll be looking for folk who’ll be happy to help deploy the traps after they’re built, and some who’ll be able to monitor and re-bait and handful of traps in their area on a monthly basis.

Keen?  Flick me an email and I’ll tell you more.Cheers,

Ellie

(email via nelsonboardriders at hotmail dot com)