Traps and plants to bring back the kea
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Mt Hutt users are waging war on the pest population in the hope of restoring an endangered kea population.
Bike Methven, having recently added new predator traps to an established setup by Mt Hutt Ski Area, has started its trapping programme after receiving a $6000 grant from the Ashburton District Council.
Secretary Claire Harden said the club had purchased five small rat and stoat traps and two state-of-the-art possum traps that were proving quite effective, with one taking down six possums in its first five days.
“We had a lot of reports of stoats, ferrets, and possums last year so thought we would help try and get on top of it, Harden said.
The club would look to seek further funding to get more traps to help restore the native wildlife.
As well as removing pests, the club was working to eradicate wilding sycamores from the area.
Bike Methven’s efforts would work alongside Mt Hutt Ski Area’s established trapping and planting programmes.
Mt Hutt spokesman Richie Owen, who is also the Methven Community Board deputy chairman, said they now had 70 traps and have had over 800 successful kills in four years.
He said regular checking and baiting of the lines would commence by Mt Hutt staff during the summer months.
The ski area has also planted around 6500 native trees in the Mt Hutt forest area adjacent to the access road and a corridor running down the dry creek riverbed.
The trapping and planting have meant that bird life was increasing, which Owen said was a good sign.
“There has been a steady increase in Kereru and Kārearea NZ Falcon sightings.”
The hope is to see the endangered kea population return to the mountain because there used to be about 25 birds in the area until four years ago.
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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62.4% Summer
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36.2% Winter
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1.4% Other - I'll share below
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