When Predator Free Dunedin launched four years ago, our goal seemed enormous. Fast forward to 2022 and the community is leading efforts to eradicate possums, rats, and stoats from Dunedin’s urban and rural landscapes.
Thanks to support from Wenita Forest Products and shareholder New Forests, Predator Free Dunedin and the Halo Project are expanding west of State Highway 1 to create a buffer of possum control spanning 35,000 hectares. This includes a network of self-resetting possum traps (called the AT220) across Wenita’s Mt Allan Estate and into neighbouring Silverstream. (Conor Houghton from the Halo Project is pictured above installing an AT220 in Mt Allan.)
Traps have been in place across the Mt Allan Estate for the past three months and have already taken out a whopping 1000+ possums! One device alone got 42 possums. By keeping possum numbers low, the trap network will build on the recent possum control work completed by OSPRI in the Mt Allan Estate as part of its TBfree programme.
The AT220 is usually mounted to a tree, but this was not possible in the Mt Allan area given the risk of metal screws being left in trees being harvested. The team has come up with an innovative solution by developing a robust self-supporting mounting system using a 1.8 metre waratah, two 1.2 metre fencing pails and a rebar anchor for additional bracing. This has also provided greater flexibility in site selection, as the team can put traps in places where possums are most likely to be caught.
Thank you to Wenita Forests Products, New Forests, its staff and contractors and everyone who is helping to make this ambitious goal a reality!
- By Predator Free Dunedin project lead Rhys Millar
This map shows planned trap installs (green) and those already in place (red), including across Wenita’s Mt Allan Estate.
A demonstration of the innovative self-supporting mount for AT220s in forestry areas.