Whareroa Pest animal catch 2022
Bad News, Good News, Oddity

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Shane Cave, head of the animal pest control group writes:

Whareroa pest animal catch to October 2022

The Whareroa pest animal catch so far this year is attached.

However, before I comment on the catch numbers I’d like to start out with some thanks to quite a few people.

First a huge thank you to Hugh Parsons.

Hugh is not physically able to put in volunteer hours at Whareroa so he has donated two AT22O traps.

These battery powered, self-resetting and lure refreshing traps are very, very successful, catching possums, rats, mice, cats weasels and stoats, something that no other trap does. The batteries are rechargeable and the lure they use is relatively cheap, so they’re cheap to run, but not cheap to buy, so Hugh’s donation is very, very generous, thanks Hugh.

They’re made in Whakatane and Shane Williamson*, one of our longest standing trappers, a key part of the team, is able to regularly visit the AT220 factory in the course of his work and reports that they’ve recently produced their 12,000th trap! They’ve only been in existence for about 5 years so it’s a good story all around.

Secondly a big thanks to the trappers’ best friend in DoC, David Allan, who’s still around but has new responsibilities.

David has always ensured that we have all the bait we need and has supplied additional traps and equipment when we’ve had stuff stolen, thanks Dave. However we gain a new David, David Moss is the new pest animal guy with whom we’ll deal.

Thanks also to David Allan’s predecessor - as our supporter - in DoC, Colin Giddy, who, nearly ten years ago, supplied all of our original traps and lure.

Colin’s been at the farm waging war on rabbits. Rabbits are not only a pest in themselves but are also the preferred prey of ferrets, the first two of which ever caught at Whareroa were caught this year, so reducing rabbit numbers reduces the farm’s attractiveness to ferrets in particular.

Jason Bohmer and Ian Redward have also been waging war on rabbits and hares, hares are a real threat to newly planted trees as they are browsers. Thanks guys.

Thanks also to the rest of the team. Shane Williamson, Jason Bohmer and Ian Redward have already had a mention above but a big thanks as always to Darrel Sutherland, Tom Bruynel, Ray Molineux, John Rowland, Rodney Hopkirk and John Whibley.

The year’s catch is attached.

One notable aspect of the catch is the decline in possum numbers.

As I’ve noted above, the AT220s are self resetting and good at catching possums. We have, with DoC funding, got a line of these traps around part of the farm's perimeter, including most of Whareroa’s boundary with Campbell’s Mill Road. The traps along the road initially caught a lot of possums when they were installed early last year.

However, the possum catch along Campbell’s Mill Rd has reduced to zero over recent months (some of the recently caught possums in the table below have been caught in DoC supplied leg-hold traps elsewhere on the farm).

Apart from the AT220s doing their job, the decline in possums caught along the road is very likely the result of (1). a 1080 drop in the Akatarawas by the Greater Wellington Regional Council (this was done some time ago but is effective for several years) and (2). the major clearance of a pine plantation above Campbell’s Mill Road.

Of course it’s not possible to attribute the decline just to those two factors but they’re very likely major contributors and indicate the importance of an expansive network of pest control.

With highly porous boundaries no trapping can eliminate pests but if your neighbour traps pests, and that neighbour’s neighbour traps, then new pest incursions are significantly reduced for everyone.

In that respect we owe Michael Stace thanks for the many years he has assiduously trapped pests on Queen Elizabeth Park. The same thanks goes to Peter Kiernan for the very thorough and long standing trapping programme to Whareroa’s north.

In addition to the catches recorded below there have been a further 841 animals caught by the Goodnature gas powered traps we have. These traps record kills but we don’t know what was killed as the corpses usually decompose before we see them.

That means we have killed a grand total of 7,811 pest animals since the programme started in April 2013.

Cheers

Shane Cave

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (11.4.22)

To see more about our pest control activities click here

Jan’s Whareroa Photos

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* * photos from September 2022 * *

Jan’s photos from a few wandering through Whareroa

The photo of dying flax was from a share from Andy’s FB page about the effects of yellow-leaf and included this link

”Going early morning or at sunset
and then walking in the dark makes
for a very different experience.
Try it sometime”

Jan Nisbet, energetic dedicated Whareroa supporter from the first hours has been taking photos in Whareroa very often over the years.

Sometimes during working bees, during Whareroa Walker walks and sometimes while Jan has been there enjoying the Whareroa vibe.

She has kindly allowed us to publish a selection of her photos and videos (often with her comments attached).

We will be posting them on an irregular basis, so stay tuned!

Many thanks to Jan (and thanks for the tip-off from Sue)

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (5.10.22)

Caravan

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Thanks to Hugh Scott for entering his beautiful photo of the Whareroa caravan in an exhibition adjacent to Kapiti library

Many thanks to Sue for the photos and text

You can find more info about the caravan at the Hub here

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (28.7.22)

Lost & Found

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In the attached photos you can see a rusted metal rod (3cm wide, at least 40cm long) entering from the base of the undamaged one (15-20cm long & each uniformly shaped) in the second photo.

There are other metal parts and sawn wooden beams or posts in the revealed layer of soil, and a clear glass bottle.

Archeological site left undisturbed.

Current thinking (July 2022) is that these are insulators and stuff for telephone wires, possibly from the Marines from 1942/43

Many thanks to Sue for the photos and text

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (20.7.22)

Colourful Akeake

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While wrangling blackberry across from the picnic table nearest the carpark, a distinctive orange glow under light green narrow leaves attracted attention.  

Akeake has been planted throughout the restoration areas over the past 14 years. As these coastal and lowland forest trees mature, bark on the main trunk sheds revealing a second brighter pop of colour. 

Important when your flowers and fruit are insignificant?!

Akeake belongs to the worldwide Dodonea viscosa family (dodonea = whispering, viscosa = sticky).

The wood was carved by Maori into ‘clubs & spears, staffs & staves’ owing to its strength. Ake, ake, ake translates as forever and ever. Akerautangi, an alternative name, reflects a tree with wailing leaves.

Globally, very similar trees provide(d) remedies for rheumatic and dental pain.

Many thanks to Sue for the photos and text

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (20.7.22)

Jan’s Whareroa Photos

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* * these photos are all from Tuesday, 14.6 this week * *

”Going early morning or at sunset and then walking in the dark makes for a very different experience. Try it sometime”

Jan Nisbet, energetic dedicated Whareroa supporter from the first hours has been taking photos in Whareroa very often over the years.

Sometimes during working bees, during Whareroa Walker walks and sometimes while Jan has been there enjoying the Whareroa vibe.

She has kindly allowed us to publish a selection of her photos and videos (often with her comments attached).

We will be posting them every week or so, so stay tuned!

Many thanks to Jan (and thanks for the tip-off from Sue)

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (17.6.22)

Jan’s Whareroa Photos

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* * these photos are all from Tuesday, 7.6 this week * *

Jan Nisbet, energetic dedicated Whareroa supporter from the first hours has been taking photos in Whareroa very often over the years.

Sometimes during working bees, during Whareroa Walker walks and sometimes while Jan has been there enjoying the Whareroa vibe.

She has kindly allowed us to publish a selection of her photos and videos (often with her comments attached).

We will be posting them every week or so, so stay tuned!

Many thanks to Jan (and thanks for the tip-off from Sue)

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (9.6.22)

Flowering kohekohe

See it now!

Send us your photos & we’ll post them (whareroa.guardians@gmail.com)!!

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With the kohekohe flowering nicely in these 2 or so weeks, 2 loyal readers have sent us their Whareroa photos (see our June 1, kohekohe posting below)

Thanks to Asher for his photos and Sally for her video (this link to Sally’s video will take you to our facebook posting of June 1, 2022 - her video is in the comments section)

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (01.06.22)

Flowering kohekohe

See it now!

Send us your photos & we’ll post them (whareroa.guardians@gmail.com)!!

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The next 2-3 weeks are a very special time of year to stroll through the forest remnants at Whareroa Farm Reserve.

Our large kohekohe trees are blossoming and fruiting - sprays of creamy flowers cascade down trunks.

And, orange fruit are shining in pods - they take 12 months to mature.

It’s thanks to effective control of rats and possums that there is such proliferation - fruit, flowers and seedlings of kohhekohe are demolished by nocturnal introduced species.

One of our new volunteers comments ’the snaps don’t really do them justice’.

We encourage everyone to visit over the upcoming holiday weekend to enjoy the remarkable sights and delicate honey fragrance of lowland coastal forest kohekohe trees in full flower.

h/t to Sue for the text and Rachel for the photos

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (01.06.22)

Magpies minus two

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Two down and hopefully more to follow!

Well done Shane! These two were captured after the trap was set in the paddock opposite the Recreation Hall.

Magpies are regarded as a national pest and many councils actively encourage their control.

Thanks also to Michael Stace and Pene Burton-Bell for the magpie traps

h/t to Bruce and Shane for the info and the photos

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (30.5.22)

To see more about our pest control activities click here

Jan’s Whareroa Photos

click on the images to expand them

Jan Nisbet, energetic dedicated Whareroa supporter from the first hours has been taking photos in Whareroa very often over the years.

Sometimes during working bees, during Whareroa Walker walks and sometimes while Jan has been there enjoying the Whareroa vibe.

She has kindly allowed us to publish a selection of her photos and videos (often with her comments attached).

We will be posting them every week or so, so stay tuned!

Many thanks to Jan (and thanks for the tip-off from Sue)

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (26.5.22)

Jan’s Whareroa Photos

click on the images to expand them

Jan Nisbet, energetic dedicated Whareroa supporter from the first hours has been taking photos in Whareroa very often over the years.

Sometimes during working bees, during Whareroa Walker walks and sometimes while Jan has been there enjoying the Whareroa vibe.

She has kindly allowed us to publish a selection of her photos and videos (often with her comments attached).

We will be posting them every week or so, so stay tuned!

Many thanks to Jan (and thanks for the tip-off from Sue)

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (16.5.22)

News from the blackberry patch

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The sunny & sheltered lower Ti Kouka stream was explored for blackberry this week.

Around a year ago, Liffet, Dawn & others had tackled an infestation over several weeks in this area. 

This week, we 3 Blackberry Busters cleared more than 50% of the blackberry regrowth & found the plantings are thriving, including masses of fruit on various coprosmas and Grisolinia lucida.

The next generation of kowhai have germinated, ti Kouka are tall and sturdy.

Thanks to WWF for supporting the planting of this waterway in 2011!

h/t to Sue for the photos and info (and to all the Blackberry Busters for their great work)

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How can I find the lower ti Kouka stream? Check out this map left of the middle, between the Cairn and Matai Bush

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (11.5.22)

To see more about our pest control activities click here

Conservation Volunteer 1
Invasive Gorse 0

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Rachel Calvert tackled a thorny wall of gorse at the last working bee. 

She said it was physical work, but very rewarding freeing the native plants that were being choked by this prickly pest

h/t to Sue for the photos and info (and to Sue, Rachel and all the Blackberry Busters for their great work)

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (5.5.22)

To see more about our pest control activities click here

Whareroa Pest animal catch 2022
Bad News, Good News, Oddity

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Shane Cave, head of the animal pest control group writes:

The picture of the 2022 catch so far is attached but there are some highlights, lowlights and an oddity in this data.

The Bad News 

We’ve caught our first ferret.  This is especially bad news as they are voracious predators, but their arrival has long been expected.  Over the past few years ferrets have been caught further and further south into the north of the Kapiti region, moving south from Horowhenua, almost certainly with the help of the greater choice of prey in the more diverse habitat of the Expressway plantings and increased rabbit numbers.

Whareroa’s first ferret* was caught in a trap close to the farm manager’s house in March and very soon after a group of ferrets (apparently a female and several kits [young ferrets]) was seen near the Whareroa caravan. Last week a ferret was caught in a trap on a neighbouring property to the north of Whareroa, the first time a ferret has been caught there in a long standing area of intensive trapping. 

* About 4 years ago a ferret was found run-over at Mackays Crossing on the section of SH1 above the railway line.

DoC - thanks David Allan - have quickly supplied us with additional traps and lure which Shane Williamson and I have put out but so far no more ferrets have been caught.  

Ferrets, like all mustelids, travel extensively so it cannot be assumed that they are still on or near Whareroa, but the traps will remain in place, alongside our existing network of over 100 box traps. We’ve also deployed two of our excellent AT220 electronic resetting traps in a way that they could catch ferrets.

The Good News

We’ve caught our thousandth possum. Our possum trappers Jason Bohmer, Tom Bruynel and Ray Molyneux, and our 18 electronic resetting AT220 traps, continue to catch possums on the farm so we’ve quickly moved up to 1,019 possums killed. Female possums generally produce only 1 joey a year, so reducing resident numbers and keeping at the residual animals and incomers means we should be able to keep "peak-possum” quite low.  

Oddity

Whareroa’s weasel* and stoat catch has almost collapsed. ( * Along with other neighbouring trapping groups we catch more weasels than stoats).  On Whareroa weasels and stoats are most commonly caught between November and April.  We have normally had a combined weasel and stoat catch of between 10 to 12 over that period with a peak of 15 once.

However, from November ’21 to April 22, we have caught 1 weasel~ and 1 stoat. Such a decline is unprecedented. I wonder if the arrival of ferrets has contributed to this decline?

Thanks as usual to the trappers, Shane Williamson, Jason Bohmer, Darrel Sutherland, Tom Bruynel, John Rowland, Ray Molyneux, Rodney Hopkirk and John Whibley, and to Doc’s David Allan.

~ NB. In the table attached there is only 1 stoat. The weasel referred to above was caught last November so does not appear in this year’s catch record.

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You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (4.5.22)

To see more about our pest control activities click here

Seeding season

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Past plantings and an increasingly bird-friendly environment are leading to more seeds being produced and distributed throughout Whareroa

At the beginning of April Ann reported that below the Urban Hut lots of kahikatea seeds are to be seen. A kahikatea we planted about 12 years ago is already fruiting in the Dell.

There were also plenty of totara seeds under the giant totara above the Dell and under one in Carex Valley - the birds are doing the work to distribute those further afield

Add to that 7 spaniards, now reasonably established by the Cairn, adding great protection for lizards.

The pictures are of Coprosma rhamnoides (probably!) on the Upper Mamaku Stream track where there were at least 3 bushes fruiting. Coprosma are also good for lizards.

Bonus fact: See the wildernessmag website to learn how the Spaniards can be used in a survival situation (or for chewing gum)

Bonus bonus fact: Coprosma is from the Greek kopros ‘dung’ and osme ‘smell’, referring to the foul smell of the species, literally ‘dung smell’

Thanks to Ann for the pictures and info

You can also find this posting and more on our Facebook page (15.4.22)

Ferrets have been dreaded and expected since they began appearing here and there in Kapiti in the last few years.

Now they are confirmed in Whareroa with at least the trapped animal plus the sighting of a (stand-by for the collective noun....) "business of ferrets".

The animal pest team is on to it. Ferrets are smart and highly mobile, so this could be difficult project.

Follow-up post mortem ferret news from Sue, Saturday, 26.3.22:

"Jeff’s ferret was a non pregnant female, weighed 730g (NZ mean 603, range 403-885), body length 353mm (355, 343-367), tail 138mm (129, 126-132). By these measurements, she was fully grown. Body condition very good, with fat around the kidneys.

Her stomach contained remains of rabbit (fur & bone shards) and wētā (carapace, antennae).

Feral ferrets in New Zealand feed mainly on rabbits, rats & mice and birds including kororā/little blue penguins, banded dotterels, thrushes, blackbirds & sparrows. They also prey on geckos and skinks. Weta & beetles are the most common invertebrates identified.

This individual may have been one of a litter of 2-12 (usually 4-8) born in October-November 2021. Juveniles disperse from their natal home range mid February to mid March, at about 3 months old.

They often follow landscape features e.g vegetation cover or overgrown stream channels; dispersal distances are similar for both sexes, from 5-45km.

Reference: The Handbook of NZ Mammals, edited by Carolyn M King 2005

This is a very informative webinar on the search for new mustelid control methods - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUYUfvOvCnc

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You can also find this posting on our Facebook page

You can find out more about our Animal and Plant Pest Control groups here

Blackberry Busters back on the job…

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Five (5!) hours of blackberry busting by Sue & Alex on Tuesday, including sightings of 3 kereru, 2 koura & a yellow ladybird.

Many thanks to Sue for the photos and info

You can also find this posting on our Facebook page (12.1.22)

Bruce and the electric fence

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Not all heroes wear capes.

Our latest hero (Bruce) yesterday deployed a temporary electric fence where a slip had destroyed a long standing number 8 wire fence (see photos). He also reports no sheep in the Cairn yet and the ground looks supersaturated.

Many thanks to Bruce for his great work and the photos!

This posting is also on our Facebook page (16.12.21)

More rain…

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Many thanks to Ann, who has sent us some photos with comments attached

Additionally (as at 15.12.21) Ann noted:
Looking across up Carex Valley and East Ridge no obvious slips. There is one slip on Catchment View but no impact on the tracks – tramping or biking. No obvious slippage on ridge where the new bike track is being created. Ramaroa: no info yet.

Also of note: There was a huge mountainbike working bee this (Wed, 15.12.21) evening with at least 10 vehicles and lots of good strong men with tools! Great to see 👍👍👍

Rain…

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Many thanks to Sue for the great photos from this weekend.
You can also find this posting on our Facebook page (12.12.21)

Blackberry Busting Group

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Fruit reduced by the labour of our Blackberry Busters!

Thanks to Sue for the photos from Nov 16 and to the Blackberry Busters for busting blackberries at Whareroa Farm

For more information and background to the
Blackberry Busters, click here

Level 2

(Update: 10.Sep.21)
Thank you to those who had offered to take part in the DOC team building day on Monday, Sep 13. For obvious reasons this is now cancelled.
Whareroa Guardians, Approved activities: Planting, weed control, checking traps, track maintenance and monitoring stock and fences, following Level 2 protocols. Under Level 2 volunteer activities have to be approved by DOC so please let us know if you have activities planned.
We will arrange a working bee in October if still at Level 1 or 2 - but with people bringing their own tools and refreshments and maintaining the required distances if still under Level 2. 

Thanks again to all volunteers.

Level 3

(Update: 2.Sep.21)
We are awaiting instructions from DOC as to exactly what volunteers can do at Whareroa.
Please do not do anything which might necessitate emergency services call out when exercising.
Keep safe.

Level 4

(23.Aug.21)
DOC and KCDC have been in touch.
No driving to Whareroa and no community work.
The pests will have a reprieve.
Please do not do anything which might necessitate emergency services call out when exercising.
Keep safe.
Many thanks for all the work you normally do, hope it won't be too long before we are back into it.
From the Guardians

Carex Valley Planting

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Here is the recently completed summary for this year's plantings in Carex Valley (2000 plants have gone into the ground there this year!)

All the trees were funded by Trees That Count, all the Carex secta plants were paid for from the funds of the Guardians. The plants were sourced from The Greenery, Te Rito Gardens and from volunteers. Many thanks to you all!

We have already obtained a grant for wetland restoration planting for the next two years from the Wellington Community Trust. Those plants will be obtained from Te Rito Gardens, a community trust in Porirua which specialises in grasses. We have provided them with seed from original Carex Secta growing at Whareroa.

Pictures show part of this years tree planting and the carex in swampy ground.

You can also find this posting on our Facebook page (16.9.21)

Blackberry Busting Group

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The photos are from July 20 and August 10, 2021
just part of the every day fun, after plenty of rain.

Thanks to Sue for the photos noting "We will NOT be turned back!" That should be turning up on the Blackberry Busters t-shirts next season ;-)

For more information and background to the
Blackberry Busters, click here