PF Tamahere Quarterly Newsletter

Welcome to the Latest from Predator Free Tamahere!

We’re excited to bring you the latest updates from Predator Free Tamahere!

This edition is packed with insights and news, including our June pest monitoring results, tips on pulse baiting, a dive into the invention of the Philproof bait station, and highlights from our recent community event celebrating our 6000th pest with an amazing cake. We also have updates on recent bellbird sightings in Hamilton and a detailed look at Tamahere’s long-tailed bats. With recent news coverage of the Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge near Hamilton Gardens and the upcoming creation of new bat habitat on Raynes Road to help mitigate the impacts of Hamilton airport's latest development, we also thought it’s a great time to highlight these unique local creatures and their conservation.

Spring Means Nesting Season: Time to Check Your Traps!

Spring is here, and that means it’s nesting season for our native birds and bats. Now’s the perfect time to ensure your bait stations and traps are in top condition to give our wildlife the best chance for breeding success. Even if things got a bit neglected over winter (life gets busy - we totally understand!), now’s the time to dust off those traps and get them set.

Boosting Rat Control

Our June pest monitoring showed that we need to step up our rat control efforts, particularly in some of our gully reserves. We’re working closely with experts to refine our strategies and ensure our baiting and trapping methods are as effective as possible. We’ve also updated our website with plenty of tips on trapping and baiting, including advice for using your AT220, A24, and other traps or bait stations. Be sure to check out the links for more handy tips!

Gully Restoration and Native Planting

For those involved in gully restoration and native planting, we’ve added a web page with resources on choosing the right plants and where to find local advice and support. Make sure to explore these links for valuable tips and information.

And if you spot any broken links or issues on our website, please let me know—managing a website is a steep learning curve for us!

Tue, Aug 27

Tech Updates & Tasty Treats

Our latest community event highlighted new NZ AutoTraps technology, including the advanced AT520-AI. We also celebrated our 6,000 pest milestone with another creative cake from Robyn Richardson.

Sat, Jul 20

Monitoring Results and Next Steps

Our June 2024 monitoring revealed mixed results: while some areas show progress with lower rodent numbers, others, particularly public reserves, highlight the need for intensified pest control.

Sat, Aug 17

Mastering Rat Control: The Art of Bait Pulsing

We've discovered that to effectively control rats, traps alone aren't enough—adding toxin bait with a pulsing approach, used strategically throughout the year, should significantly boost our results

Sat, Jul 27

Phil’s Legacy

Did you know the PhilProof bait station is a local innovation by Phil Thomson? It represents many years of his dedication to conservation and has become a vital tool in pest management efforts

Sun, Sep 08

Bird Sightings Update

Native bird activity in Hamilton’s gullies looks to be on the rise, with increased sightings of bellbirds and kereru in areas with strong conservation efforts. This highlights the need for us to conti

Sun, Sep 22

Hidden Treasures: Our Long-Tailed Bats

Tamahere is home to New Zealand's endangered long-tailed bats (pekapeka tou roa), which play a crucial role in controlling insects and pollinating plants. These bats face threats from habitat loss,

Other News & Updates

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Amanda Banks, who has recently moved on to a new role with Waipā District Council. Her invaluable contributions to our volunteer committee will be greatly missed.

Save the Date: We’re excited to announce our next community event on Monday, December 9th. Mark your calendars—we’d love to see you there!

Get Involved

We really appreciate your support! Whether you're trapping on your property, volunteering, sponsoring, sharing feedback, or just staying informed, it all makes a difference. Thank you.

And don’t forget to let us know about your catches! If you haven’t reported your trap stats on Trap.NZ recently, please take a moment to do so. If it’s easier, you can always email us your updates.

We’d love for you to encourage your neighbours and other locals to join in too.

Thanks for helping us keep our wildlife safe!

Stay Connected

For more updates, visit our website or follow us on Facebook. If you’d prefer not to receive future newsletters, you can unsubscribe below.

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Best wishes,

Alison Ewing, Jane Morgan, Rachel Frengley, Robyn Richardson, and Rod Berry (Chair), Predator Free Tamahere Committee