We’ve heard through the grapevine there have been plenty of pests caught in the traps over the last month.  If you have any data to submit please enter it on the TRAP DATA SUBMISSION page or email it to endeavourinlet at gmail dot com.

Keep up the great work!

He founded biosecurity in New Zealand, developed new systems for protecting native plants and agriculture from pests and disease, and established new standards for animal welfare, but John Hellstrom’s proudest moment was getting a native parrot on the cover of the biosecurity strategy booklet.

Dr Hellstrom, of Endeavour Inlet in Queen Charlotte Sound, was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday honours list today.

“I was so surprised. I’m also very proud, because it’s good to see biosecurity recognised in such a way.”

Please keep submitting catch numbers on the  trap data submission page.

The February numbers are in: 34 possums were caught, 3 rats and 2 cats with one caught in a DOC200.

A huge thanks to all our trap checkers in February.

The unstoppable Rod Burgoyne has now completed attaching ribbon markers to all the DOC200 stoat, weasel and rat traps in the field.  The ribbons add some efficiency to the trap checkers efforts by showing whether the trap has been sprung or not without having to look inside.

An open box showing the ribbon within the slot after being re-set.

When resetting or rebaiting the DOC200 traps please check the ribbon’s rope is placed back inside the slot before closing the lid.  This will ensure it does not slow the trap from shutting at the critical moment.

The trap set again ready to go with the ribbon on the ground.

Once the lid has been securely fastened shut place the ribbon in an obvious position on the ground beside the trap and it’s ready to go.

The first months trapping has been completed by the Endeavour Inlet Conservation Trust and the numbers are in.

A staggering 59 possums were caught in January with three single trap sites each catching 5 possums.  2 stoats were captured, 9 rats and a single mouse managed to set off a DOC200.

The trust currently has 38 possum traps and 30 rat and stoat traps active in the field.  There are also 13 private landholders traps now included in the trust tally as well!

A huge thanks to all our trap checkers in January.

The first stoat caught in the Endeavour Inlet Conservation Trust traps was discovered this morning by two early morning trap checkers.  Catches of rats and possums have become consistent throughout the 70 traps and getting the first stoat after only a couple of weeks suggests there will be many more caught as the months go by.

Keran Duley with some of the morning’s catch; a large possum and the first stoat.

A short video made by Lachie of how to check and reset the Trapinator traps.

For those of you interested we will be taking GPS co-ordinates for all traps in the field.  We will make these available for download from this website (just as soon as we know how…) so you can use your own GPS devices to check the traps.

Keep checking the site for updates to see when they loaded or subscribe by email (on the right hand column) to get emailed each time new information has been added.

A large male possum was caught at site N001 on the night the traps were laid out.  Pictured is the possum removed from the trap with the trap re-set ready for the next visitor.

The first pests have been trapped in the Endeavour Inlet Conservation Trust’s traps.  The DOC200′s have caught over a dozen rats in their fist 10 days in the field and the Trapinator possum traps have caught 4 possums in the first couple of nights out.  To submit data of animals caught  please complete the form on the TRAP DATA SUBMISSION page.  If you would prefer to send by email please send to endeavourinlet@gmail.com and include as much information as you can including:

Date trap was checked.
What animal was caught.
What site number (ie. WA012).
Any further data you think may be helpful (I rebaited trap with peanut butter, trap needs maintenance due to rust, trap missing, etc).