Pest Free Sandringham was established in 2021 with the aim of suppressing predator populations in order to give native wildlife a fighting chance in our area. We are part of the wider Urban Ark network of trapping groups which share the same aim, with an overall vision of creating ‘stepping stone’ habitats between the Hauraki Gulf and the Waitakere ranges. We’re all doing our bit locally to work towards the national Predator Free 2050 goal.
We are giving away free rat traps in protective safety boxes. All we ask in return is that you commit to regularly baiting your trap and reporting all catches to the group leader (Jesse) by email. This helps us to monitor our progress over time.
We are particularly keen to focus on protecting the main patch of native habitat in our area, so we’ve established the Wātea Reserve Halo. To be effective we’d like to see active ongoing trapping on at least 1 in 3 properties around Wātea. The park contains a small wetland, a diverse range of native trees and is frequented by a number of species of native birds, including visiting kēreru. The benefits of protecting and enhancing native biodiversity values in the reserve are likely to spill out across the wider area.
Please get in touch if you’d like to start trapping or assist our efforts in any way.
Photo: Creative Commons (Sy)