Trapping workshops a success....one more to go!

Thanks to Kati Huirapa Runaka ki Puketeraki and Orokonui Ecosanctuary for hosting our recent trapping workshops.  Also to our trapping demonstrators who have a done such a great job of educating and inspiring attendees - Brent Rohloff (OSPRI), Rob Rail, Matt Thomson, and Abi Liddy.  Both workshops have been very well attended, reflecting the commitment that local people have to our environment.  Thank you. 

There is still another workshop on offer to those who are interested - next Saturday at Pioneer Hall, Port Chalmers 2pm-5pm.  Please do register: landscapeconnectionstrust@gmail.com

ORC funding targets pests

The Otago Regional Council has thrown its financial support behind aproject to control stoats, ferrets and rats beyond the Orokonui Ecosanctuary,  northeast of Dunedin.  Council chief executive Peter Bodeker said the council would provide up to $134,000, as part of the $212,000 Landscape Connections Trust needed for the first year of the project.  The council funding will come from its environmental enhancement fund and will buy pest control equipment.  The trust co-ordinates the Halo Project, which is part of the trust’s wider "Beyond Orokonui" initiative.

The project seeks to co-ordinate a response to the threats posed by animal pests in the area immediately surrounding the ecosanctuary.  Pests such as stoats, ferrets, rats and possums in the area preyed on lizards, birds and eggs and chewed through native foliage.  They also acted as vectors for pests and diseases, particularly Tb.  Trust project manager Rhys Millar was "absolutely delighted" about the funding, and said the trust aimed to appoint a project co-ordinator later this year to drive the work.  For more see: www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/orc-funding-targets-pests

How safe is my cat? Project Update

Often in pest management projects community members ask questions such as “How risky are these traps?” and “how do we catch predators but not harm our domestic cats?”  The reality is that there are many ways of minimising the risk to domestic cats, but these are still valid and understandable questions. 

To help our communities feel confident about the pest trapping proposed in the Halo Project the LCT is embarking on a project with four local schools to understand “how safe is my cat?”  Working with environmental educators from Orokonui ecosanctuary – Tahu Mackenzie and Clare Cross - children from Port Chalmers, Waitati, Purakaunui and Karitane schools will track their own pet cats with GPS collars, as well as assessing camera footage to evaluate what cats do when confronted with baited (but not set) traps.  This is an exciting project, and one that promises to enrapture children and their families.  We look forward to collaborating with Orokonui Ecosanctuary to deliver this project, and to engaging with our local schools in hands-on applied science.  The results from this project will be shared with the wider community at the end of the year through a variety of forums.  A big thanks to the MBIE Curious Minds for their support with this.

Halo Project Update – Trapping workshops

Many people in the Halo Project communities are keen to get stuck in, working as part of a collective effort to target invasive pests.  

One key objective of the Halo project is to support individuals and community groups wanting to protect their local treasures.  For some people this might mean helping the expanding populations of the South Island robin and the kaka, now being seen outside of the Orokonui Ecosanctuary fence, seeking habitat as their populations increase. 

By equipping people with the tools and training necessary to ensure that our collective efforts have maximum impact, we hope to achieve what none could achieve on their own: unified, sustainable pest control from the coast to the cloud forest.

To get things rolling we are holding three workshops for people who want to learn more about how to monitor for pests, and how then to trap them in a safe and humane way.  Supported by OSPRI and the DCC, these workshops will guide people through the different trapping techniques needed to target possums, mustelids (ferrets, stoats and weasels) and rats.  We will cover best practice (techniques to increase the likelihood of success), monitoring methods, data collection, and health and safety.  

e will also be using these workshops to develop community networks, linking people who want to work together to care for their local patch.  We will also provide a quick update about the Halo Project.

The workshops are being held at:

• 13th August, 2pm-5pm at Orokonui Ecosanctuary (600 Blueskin Rd, Waitati)  

• 20th August, 2pm-5pm at Kati Huirapa, Karitane (at the old school, 121 Grimness Street)

• 27th August, 2pm-5pm at Pioneer Hall (35 George St, Port Chalmers)              

Please RSVP to landscapeconnectionstrust@gmail.com  so that we can bring adequate resources, including tea and biscuits.  

Environmental Educator Contract Position Available

An opportunity has become available to be involved in an exciting new project entitled How safe is my cat?  A part of the Beyond Orokonui project, this project seeks to involve school children and their parents in a science-based study into the safety of their domestic cats that might roam into areas where traps are being used to catch pest animals as part of a conservation project, the Halo Project.

Image source: http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/381333

This project will begin community conversations about the place of cats in our environment. Participating school students will be involved in all aspects of this project in conjunction with the project team. Together they will first look at why cats and other pests are a problem for NZ’s native wildlife, the importance of cats to individual and family wellbeing, why it is so difficult to manage cats in the context of predator control programmes and wildlife management, and how this project will help people design ways to keep cats safe.

The Landscape Connections Trust is looking to appoint someone who can implement the 'How safe is my cat?’ project and is seeking Expressions of Interest from interested people.  This self-motivated person will need a good understanding of both ecology and pest management, and have experience in working with school children.

Sound like you?  Great! Please have a look at the attached job description, and send us your CV and details as requested.

Extending the Inner Halo to Port Chalmers

Feedback from our recent consultation event has been very positive, with a lot of people wanting to get stuck in. Thank you! 

A number of people from Port Chalmers and Sawyers Bay have expressed interest in this project and wanting to be a part of the more intensive management that is to occur within the inner halo area.  Previously the inner halo came down to around Scott's memorial, but excluded Port Chalmers and Sawyers Bay.

The Inner Halo area.  Red dots show the planned density of traps needed for stoats.  Actual trap locations will change, according to landowner participation.

Having Port Chalmers in the Inner Halo makes sense from a pest management and ecological sense, providing a greater buffer to Orokonui ecosanctuary and firmly creating an isolated "neck" out towards Heywards Point.  In due course this area can also be intensively controlled.

Of equal importance, it will be great to have the enthusiasm and participation of the Port and Sawyers Bay communities.   Collectively, we can hope to expand biodiversity values into everyone's backyards....and increase the yields of our apple trees!

For those out of the Inner Halo area, we are very keen to work with willing land /home owners - particularly if they are a part ofa contiguous cluster.  In these instances we will look to work with each community cluster to develop an appropriately scaled Pest Plan, and then resource / implement accordingly.  Let me know if you are keen!

How can the Halo Project assist landowners and home owners ?

The potential for TB to have a significant impact on farmer's livelihoods has been clearly demonstrated at the Holy Cow milk farm in Reynoldstown.  Our hearts go out to Merrell and Alex in this time of great strain.  However the community support has been mind blowing, with over $14,000 already raised on givealittle - amazing! 

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/386052/farmer-buoyed-support

How can our Halo Project (see our Community Consultation Document for more details) help the likes of Merrell, and others farmers in the area? OSPRI are working to eradicate TB in the area, currently focused on the Mt.Cargill area.  The Halo Project is in close communication with OSPRI, and are looking to support and expand upon their work where we can.

We are in the process of fund raising for both the capital purchase of traps and a project coordinator.  The range of traps will help to deal with possums, as well as stoats and ferrets, and even rats.  It is important that we address multiple pest species, otherwise there could be a a risk of perverse ecological outcomes. 

If you are interested in being involved, please do contact us.

"Possums in spotlight"

Check out the article in the ODT on the Halo Project: http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/383749/possums-spotlight