Predator Free Hamilton

The Predator Free Hamilton Trust (PFH) has come to the end of it's useful life and is in the process of winding up.

The reason is that the Central Waikato Predator Free Hub and Go Eco are now filling the support role for community trapping in a much more comprehensive manner than PFH could as an entirely voluntary organisation. We are proud of the work we have done in helping get predator control under way in Hamilton and are very happy to pass the baton.

This means that the Central Waikato Predator Free Hub page is now the 'go to' place for all the good tips on predator control, information about predators, importance of biodiversity plus local restoration events. LIKE the Central Waikato Predator Free Hub page for inspiration, motivation and up-to-date news.

It’s all go for Pestival in the Tron 2023 tomorrow with doors opening at 9:30am.

Talks, stalls, kids activities, tunnel box making, food, raffle and sunshine. What more could you ask for?

Western Community Centre, 46 Hyde Street, Nawton. See you there!

We're really proud to have been able to bring together the wealth of knowledge, skills and tools for Pestival in the Tron 2023 this Saturday.

This inaugural event brings families, community groups, volunteers and conservation experts together to celebrate and nurture the work being done to protect our native species from invasive predators.

As well as talks running throughout the day, you'll be able to check out the following stalls... and find out what role you can play in the Predator Free 2050 goal, and local conservation.

👉 Go Eco
👉 Predator Free Community stall
👉 Forest and Bird - Waikato Branch
👉 Hamilton City Council - Nature in the city team
👉 NZ AutoTraps
👉 Connovation
👉 Waikato Regional Council
👉 Predator Free Franklin
👉 TrapNZ
👉 Karioiproject
👉 Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
and more...

Don't forget the kids activities and tunnel box building are between 10.30-12.30pm.

For your coffee fix Mind the Grind will be onsite (bring a reusable cup)

Junats are running a sausage sizzle and selling soup and baking for your morning tea and lunch.

Predator Free Hakarimata are a group of private landowners who came together over concern for the degraded condition of the Hakarimata ranges. Haakari-kai-mata means the mountain of 'uncooked food', which gives you an idea of the abundance that would have once existed there.

In just over two years, with some serious commitment, they 'got stuck in' and removed over 2000 predators from the ranges, a win for our flora and fauna, and a win for helping to connect neighbours. 👏

They'll be sharing their vision, and best tips and tricks for success at the Predator Free Communities session (11-12pm) this Saturday at Pestival in the Tron.

Pestival in the Tron 2023 has something for everyone, including the kids! Check out the free FREE activities on offer.

Make sure you’re at Pestival next Saturday. Make sure it’s in your diary!

One week until the inaugural Pestival in the Tron bringing families, mmunity groups, volunteers and conservation experts together to celebrate and nurture the work being done to protect our native species.

Check out the programme for the day 👇 There are also FREE activities for kids 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 from 10.30-12.30pm and ... during that time you can build and take home your own tunnel box and T-Rex trap 🐀 for FREE (limited to the first 30 people, thanks to support from )

Doors open 9.30am, Talks start at 10am. See you in one week!


46 Hyde Ave, Nawton, Kirikiriroa.

🌸 Sunny days, cherry blossom and bird song means Spring is here. This is the start of breeding season for tūī (and other manu), so you’ll see an increase of bird activity as they compete for mates and food sources.
🪤 It’s a time where you can help the birds during this critical time by getting a trap for your backyard and remove predatory rats, stoats and possums. 🐣 Eggs, chicks and even adult females are vulnerable during Spring and Summer.
🏡 Pop on down Go Eco in Frankton 10am - 4pm weekdays and buy a trap. The birds will thank you for it.

Check out the expert panelists that will be in the Technical session at Pestival in the Tron 2023. Lots of brains to pick in this line up! See the Pestival speaker programme in Comments too.

Pestival in the Tron 2023 is in the Hamilton Press!

We're counting down to celebrate and nurture the work our community is doing to protect our native species.

On September 9th, there'll be free talks, conservation displays and activities for kids. With doors open at 9.30am, closing at 3pm - it's a family friendly event to learn how you can get involved or improve the trapping you're already doing.

It's happening at Western Community Centre, 46 Hyde Ave, Nawton - but please follow the event for updates!.

If you didn't receive a copy in your mailbox, you can read the article here https://www.neighbourly.co.nz/e-edition/hamilton-press/49613

TOP TRAPPING TIP TUESDAY
There are 5 great tips to help catch those possums here. Check it out!

Troubleshooting tips: what to do if your possum trap isn’t catching any possums So, you've set your possum trap, hoping to make a dent in the possum population… but your trap remains untouched. Time to try our troubleshooting tips.

New technology traps using AI to detect pest species could be available next year.

This AI-powered pest-buster can pick kea from stoat Clever traps that can pick pests from native species set to join NZ's war on predators.

TOP TRAPPING TIP TUESDAY
❄️ Winter can be a tough time for many birds to find enough food. Some get desperate enough to venture into trap boxes to search for food and that doesn’t always end well… or they don’t get caught in the trap but do steal the bait, which is not helpful when trapping.
🌙 If possible rebait traps late afternoon or early evening to avoid this problem. This is fine for your backyard trap but not always possible or practical for longer traplines in winter.
🍊 Supplementary feeding of fruit ‘lollipops’ can be helpful for the birds. Cut an orange in half and spike them onto tree branches. Inquisitive trap checkers like Tauhou/Silveryes particularly like these offerings.
🗒️ Note - There are many things to consider when feeding wild birds so read the following first so you don’t do any harm
https://theconversation.com/how-to-feed-your-garden-birds-if-you-want-to-attract-and-support-native-species-195434?fbclid=IwAR2UhB_5zU14b_QWFukx23OJATE6mSyjpfwBoy1Md_7RGm2cVV5kCnDWnPc_aem_AQrEMW4Qp5XSZFeojn8QTTCW0X_4rrtuFfZUYWn9YExB4LD59RXwlXvORJFNlx8QQAE

This week is Conservation Week and the theme is Take Action for Nature.

One of the easiest and effective things you can do to protect our native fauna, is to get yourself a trap. Ring Go Eco about getting a trap for your property or if you’ve got a trap already, make sure it’s got fresh bait and it’s set. Take Action for Nature today.

Great bait ideas here.
How many have you tried? And whats worked for you?

What's on the menu? 5 lures that aren't peanut butter Peanut butter not attracting predators like it used to? Let's shake things up with five lures that’ll make your trap the hottest dining spot.

TOP TRAPPING TIP TUESDAY

Watch the recorded video of Cam Speedys webinar from last Friday for LOTS of trapping tips. EVERYONE will learn something from this trapping legend.

PFNZ Trust Webinar # 29: Fine Tuning Your Predator Control with Cam Speedy Do you want some tips and tricks on increasing the effectiveness of predator control for your project or community group? Join Cam Speedy, a wildlife biologi...

The search for Bird of the Century is coming!

🚨 BREAKING BIRD OF THE YEAR NEWS 🚨

Forget Bird of the Year.

In 2023, we're searching for our 🪶 BIRD OF THE CENTURY 🪶

This morning at our Centennial Conference, Nicola Toki announced that we're looking for the bird from the last century that has captured your heart, to celebrate our 100th birthday 🥳

This year, five new candidates will be in the running. They are:
- Piopio, New Zealand thrush
- Mātuhituhi, bush wren
- Whēkau, laughing owl
- Huia
- Tutukiwi, South Island snipe

Voting opens on Monday 30 October and closes Sunday 12 November, with the winner announced on Monday 13 November.

You can apply to be a campaign manager for your favourite bird here: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/form/botc-campaign-managers-2023

Meet all the candidates on our website:
https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/

📷: Piopio by Te Papa CC BY 4.0; Bush wren by Don Merton/Department of Conservation; Laughing owl by Cuthbert & Oliver Parr; Huia by Auckland Museum CC BY 4.0; South Island snipe by Don Merton/Department of Conservation.

Dogs are used in the conservation field in many different roles to detect kiwi, rats, stoats, hedgehogs and now frogs 🐸

Amazing news! Holly has just earned her position as Aotearoa New Zealand’s first native frog-certified dog from the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) Conservation Dogs Programme. More accurately, it’s the team of Holly and her owner Debbie Bishop who have together received the DOC accreditation as dog and handler, an accomplishment which realises the vision of her late husband and Zoology frog researcher Emeritus Professor Phil Bishop. It’s taken a lot of mahi and Debbie is elated to have seen Phil’s vision for the role of conservation dogs in his field of research through to fruition. Huge congratulations Debbie (and Holly!) and check out the heart-warming story and video here:
https://www.otago.ac.nz/otagobulletin/news/otago0246535.html
Department of Zoology, University of Otago

Artificial intelligence joins predator free fight Software developed by Cacophony Project, in Christchurch, uses AI to scour through hours of video captured by cameras placed in the bush.

Predator Free Communities Programme We select outstanding predator free communities from around the country and give them funding to purchase trapping equipment.

Monthly tunnel-box making workshop (Wednesday 26th June)
Learn about the Predator Free 2050 goal and what you can do to protect native birds and bats in our city. You'll learn why this work is so important for conservation and biodiversity, and tips and tricks for effective trapping.
Following the presentation, you'll have the opportunity to build a tunnel box to support the predator free movement or build one to take home with a T-Rex trap for $20.

Come along to Go Eco in Frankton (188 Commerce St, Frankton, Hamilton) between 10-11:30am

The inaugural Pestival in the Tron 2023 (https://fb.me/e/611rZ3Mep) brings families, community groups, volunteers and conservation experts together to celebrate and nurture the work being done to protect our native species from invasive predators.

The central Waikato region encompasses a wide range of ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, lakes, and rivers supporting a range of native plant and animal species. From endangered birds and bats to unique wetland habitats, our biodiversity highlights the need for conservation efforts to protect its rich natural heritage.
Aotearoa's Predator Free 2050 goal is to eradicate our three most damaging predators (rats, stoats and possums) and we all have a role to play.

On the day you can expect a series of free talks, conservation displays and kids activities - all focused on predator free communities to protect our native species.

For more info, or to be involved email [email protected]

How much do you know about the Norway rat (AKA brown rat, sewer rat, water rat)?

Fantastic info about them here.

National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity announcement a significant win for native species and habitats A significant and collaborative win for nature is how Forest & Bird describes Aotearoa New Zealand’s finalised National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB), announced by Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity), the Hon