'Absolutely stoked': Rangers declare Shakespear Regional Park stoat free
Shakespear Regional Park has reclaimed its pest-free status, after a stoat incursion spanning almost two years.
The sanctuary provides wildlife such as kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi), hihi (stitchbird) and tīeke (saddleback) with a safe and pest-free habitat.
However, that safety was compromised after a stoat was spotted in March 2020.
By summer, it was evident the stoat had given birth, as the DNA analysis of scat (poo) samples had identified the presence of nine individual stoats, Auckland Council senior ranger at the sanctuary Matt Maitland said.
In early August 2021, the eighth stoat was captured. No more have been caught since. It's possible the ninth male stoat, last seen on camera on August 22, may have left the sanctuary or had “had some other misadventure” befall it.
Cautious of declaring the stoat incursion over, due to the high stakes for wildlife, the team allowed the stoats a breeding cycle before celebrating the sanctuary as stoat free in late January.
Maitland said he was “absolutely stoked” to see the end of the stoat saga.
Click 'read more' for the full story on Stuff.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.5% 1st December
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17.5% A week before Christmas
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33.3% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
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