Pest Control
Pest Control
Pest control remains an important part of our annual mahi with work continuing at Pukemiro and Puketapu pā, Onearo beach reserve,Te Urenui pā, Pohokura pā, Urenui estuary, Urenui beach camp and riverfront, Urenui golf course, Okoki pā, Wairoa and Wai iti sites. Extra sites added this year include Onaero village beachfront and Paparoa and Taranaki Regional Council have also supplied traps for these new areas to protect nesting shorebirds. Another Project that the Taiao Team are working on is with natural lures derived from native plants and environmental signs. We hope that this may aid in rat and stoat eradication and these are being trialled in Taramoukou and Parininihi alongside the eradication science Division of Manaaki Whenua. In recent months we have noticed signs that goats have returned to Okoki pā. We will monitor this situation closely and request assistance as required.
Pest Control
All trap networks are currently up-to-date which has become a rare occurance. Still on track for the next round if I can get all the kiwi mahi done. Unfortunately goats have reinfested Okoki pā, we are still to create a plan to rectify this situation.
Paparoa Site
As part of our program to protect the Pohutukawa population at Paparoa we have been working with the landowners along the coast and Taranaki Regional council to get the coastal area registered as a Key Native Ecosystem. This means that TRC will provide an ecological assessment of the site and provide traps for pest control and potential support around fencing and weed control. The landowners have comitted to clearing the traps regularly to help protect both the Pohutukawa and the Tītī population nesting at the site.
Tītī have begun returning to various confirmed sites along the clifftops from Otu Matua at Ngāti Tama to Maruehi. We have confirmed nesting burrows at Paparoa but have not had a chance to properly investigate any of the other sites too closely.
