Nine groups working together as the ‘Kiwi Link CPCA’ monitored possums and rats over 13,600 ha to determine baseline pest levels in Year 1 of their project.
Community-led conservation groups involved in the Kiwi Link Community Pest Control Area (CPCA) are working together to restore biodiversity over approximately 13,600 hectares between Parua Bay and Ngunguru in eastern Whangarei. This project has been named ‘Kiwi Link’, as the primary goal is to rebuild kiwi populations and connect the kiwi strongholds of the Whangarei Heads peninsula and the Tutukaka Coast. The Kiwi Link CPCA got underway with support from Northland Regional Council (NRC) and the Kiwi Coast in January 2017.
The vision of Kiwi Link is “Flourishing flora and fauna, with abundant kiwi roaming safely between Taraunui and Ngunguru Ford by 2026”.
All groups involved in the Kiwi Link CPCA record their trap catches, with data collated by Kiwi Coast as part of the Annual Pest Control Results. While this records how many animal pests are being removed from the area, it does not indicate how many are left. In June, with technical advice and support from the Northland Regional Council Biosecurity team, Kiwi Link groups each put out several lines of ‘chew cards’ to measure possum and rat levels.
Chew cars are small corflute cards containing a peanut butter – honey mix to attract possums and rats. The animals bite the cards to investigate them, find they don’t taste as good as they smell, and move on leaving their bite marks behind as evidence of their presence.
NRC Biosecurity Officer, Steve Henderson, analysed the chew cards and found that overall, possum abundance was 66% and rat abundance was 40%.
Steve says “Chew cards are a simple and easy way to monitor pest levels. Cards are nailed to trees every 20 metres along random lines, and left out for 7 nights. Checking the cards for rat and possum bite marks then indicates the level of these pests. The Kiwi Link results show possums and rats are at saturation levels in the areas monitored and need to be heavily reduced for forests and native wildlife to cope”.
The high pest levels were already apparent to Kiwi Link groups through recent high trap catches, and a coordinated ‘Winter Knockdown’ using toxin is already underway to clear out the animal pests in time for spring nesting. The Chew Card monitoring confirms the need for the knockdown and has motivated further landowners to take part on their properties.
Groups involved in Kiwi Link are Whareora Landcare, Taheke Landcare, Ross Road Landcare, Owhiwa Landcare, NRC Mt Tiger Forest, Hancock Forest Management ‘Whanui Project’, Pataua North Landcare, Kohinui Catchment Landcare and Ngunguru Ford Landcare.
If you live in the Kiwi Link area would like to get involved in animal or plant pest control contact Ngaire Tyson, Kiwi Coast Coordinator.
If you would like to find out more about pest control or monitoring contact the Northland Regional Council Biosecurity team on 0800 002 004 or email Steve Henderson.
