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Restoration & Pest
Control |
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Te Kauri Park has had high densities of pests for many years. Trend monitoring by EW in mid 2006 estimated possum levels at 3000 alone in the 200ha Kawaka Block (our control site). This equated to a high Residual Trap Catch (RTC) of 46%. Rat levels were even higher at 88%.
Predators at Te Kauri have impacted heavily on wildlife. We no longer have kiwi, kakariki or kokako in the reserve.
Due to the steep topography at Te Kauri Park, a predator proof fence is not an option for pest control. In order to bring back species that were once at Te Kauri we have started to remove possums, rats, ferrets, stoats and goats.
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Aerial
map shows the monitoring and pest control sites at Te Kauri. Click to
enlarge |
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The Kawaka Block, a 200ha site within Te Kauri Park was separated for initial pest control. There are 19.5km of lines cut in the Kawaka Block for monitoring and pest control. Due to the difficult terrain these lines allow better access, precision monitoring, baiting and trapping. All lines and tracks are marked and every bait station put onto GPS. There are a total of 210 Philproof bait stations around the reserve.
Pest control within Te Kauri Park is well advanced. We have developed a 5 Year Pest Control Plan and an Ecological Monitoring Strategy with 16 ecological monitoring programmes for school and tertiary participation.
In mid 2007 EW and DoC carried out an extensive aerial pest control operation which included Oparau and Pirongia. Recent trend monitoring showed that the RTC had been reduced to 0% at Te Kauri.
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Since 2007, Te Kauri-Waikūkū Trust’s contractors have been ground baiting Philproof stations within the reserve to control rat populations, and on the perimeter of the reserve to prevent possum reinvasions from adjoining
properties.
It will take years of intensive pest control before we can reintroduce species that once lived in Te Kauri.
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