Pride of NZ: Pohutukawas' friend possums' implacable enemy

Brian Thompson. Photo / Supplied

Brian Thompson - Environment

By the time Brian Thompson reaches the possum carcass, it has been mostly eaten by wild pigs, picked at by birds and is decomposing into the forest floor.

He resets the trap, smears it with peanut butter, and waits for the next round of possums to be tempted. He will do this over and over in one area until the possums stop coming. Then, he transfers his traps to another spot, and repeats the process.

Mr Thompson has encountered more than 2000 carcasses over the two-and-a-half years he has been setting traps along the Opito Bay coastline.

As a result, he has helped regenerate many pohutukawa and encouraged native birds back into the tree-tops.

He works voluntarily, nearly every day, sometimes for 14 hours a day scaling cliffs and dealing with dead carrion. His dedicated approach has earned him a Pride of New Zealand Award nomination in the environment category.

"Brian is doing a stunning job with pest control at Opito Bay," his nominator said. "In addition he has been instrumental with dog control on the beach which has seen a great increase in dotterel chick survival."

Mr Thompson had been visiting Opito Bay, near Whitianga, since 1970 and decided to retire there with his wife Yvonne in 2004.

He originally helped DoC look after the dotterels, mostly to "give them a break". Then he noticed the decimation of the coastal pohutukawa.

"Some ... that would have seen Captain Cook go sailing by were being overgrazed by possums and they were dying," he said.

Over one long, tiring day, he set up 25 traps along the cliff face. The next day he found 24 dead possums, and one dead feral cat.

"I thought to myself, 'how scary is that'."

He now tends about 6000 traps a year. Pohutukawa are "flourishing" and the community comes back with reports of 15 quail walking through their gardens.

Mr Thompson hopes he will help set a good example for the next generation, acknowledging that he wanted to walk the walk when it came to educating his own daughters.

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