Sophie Bond is away with the birds to find out what keen young conservationists are doing to help our precious native birds prosper.
Within seconds of us arriving at Kepa Bush, a kereru swoops over our heads. Liam Kenwright lifts his face and smiles. He knows exactly what bird it is and can identify the calls of several others singing in the trees.
The 8-year-old Remuera boy is a member of Forest and Bird's Kids Conservation Club and a keen bird-watcher.
Liam's a bit shy but, with prompting from mum Karen, he whispers snippets about club trips he's been on, including snorkelling at Goat Island, planting trees on Motuihe Island and visiting a lizard-breeder. He's looking forward to a club trip into Kepa Bush this weekend to see how volunteers are helping to protect native birds.
For five years, Auckland City Council parks volunteer coordinator David Bowden has worked with a group of volunteers to lay and check traps in the park. He will lead the trip into the bush where the group will find out what kind of pests have been passing through the tracking tunnels (see info box, below). "We'll go in and lay the tunnels three days before the kids go in. We put peanut butter in the traps and any rats come running."
Mr Bowden says they've had "fantastic success" controlling pests such as possums, rats and mice in Kepa Bush. "There's been feedback from locals saying the birdsong is now almost deafening. It's not too far from the Hauraki Gulf islands so we get birds visiting from there." Spring is when pest levels rise and this trip will let the council know how much trapping is needed before summer.
Marguerite Pearson, a volunteer co-ordinator for the central Auckland's kids conservation club, says the objective is to teach children about their local environment.
"We might visit a bird sanctuary or a marine reserve. Later this year we're going to Miranda to see the godwits return but I'm also trying to organise some trips closer to home."
Making tracks
Tracking tunnels help conservationists gauge the type and number of small mammals
present in an area. The sturdy cardboard tunnels are 50cm long and have a strip of non-drying, water-resistant ink in the middle. Bait lures animals into the tunnels. Inside, they walk over the ink then leave their tracks. The special ink and the absorbent card mean even a cockroach will leave high-definition prints.
The Kepa Bush trip is full but children can join the club and find out about other trips by logging onto www.kcc.org.nz
Where the wild things are
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