More than 200 keen pest controllers, forest savers and kiwi kaitiaki attended a Northland Pest Control wananga/workshop at Akerama Marae, organised by Kiwi Coast and the Northland Regional Council. They came from 73 community groups, hapu-led projects, agencies and organisations from across the region, to learn about new trapping technology and pest control tools, and to share their skills and knowledge with one another.
Kiwi Coast co-ordinator Ngaire Sullivan said it was critical to continue building the capacity of Northlanders to tackle pests.
"Whether it's reviving native forests, boosting local kiwi populations or preparing to reintroduce a lost species to an area, clearing out the pests is key," she said.
"We need to ensure those keen to get involved in pest control have the skills and resources to do an efficient job out there in the forests. This annual workshop is one of way of keeping people upskilled, motivated and aware of what everyone else is doing."
And the success of Northland's collaborative community-led pest control was evident in the collation of trap catch data undertaken each year by Kiwi Coast.
"Over the past six years, Northlanders have trapped 297,753 animal pests such as possums, rats, stoats, feral cats, wild rabbits and weasels. Last year alone, 28,475 possums were trapped. As a result, many native forest areas in Northland are beginning to flourish again," Ms Sullivan said.
