The primary culprits are rats, stoats and possums.
The primary culprits are rats, stoats and possums.
Opinion:
In recent times, Aotearoa has shown that our team of 5 million can come together to achieve truly remarkable things.
Through hard work, grit, and collective determination, we have managed to eliminate a plague that threatened to kill 10s of thousands of the most vulnerable members of our society.
We deserve to feel proud, and to be inspired by the triumph we have achieved.
There is, however, another plague wreaking havoc. Hidden in the shadows, it is killing many more vulnerable members of our community than Covid could ever dream of.
So this is a call to arms for our team of 5 million to come together, once more, to help eliminate this other insidious plague.
Every year in Aotearoa, it is estimated that a staggering 25 million native birds are killed by introduced predators.
As the wildlife endemic to our remote isles has evolved to suit an environment entirely lacking in mammalian predators, our poor trusting birds are left defenceless against the onslaught of killing machines we humans have introduced to their once peaceful habitat.
Tom Hessell encourages backyard trapping of bird-threatening animals like rats, stoats and possums. Photo / Supplied
The primary culprits are rats, stoats and possums.
But do not despair; here is where the team of 5 million comes in. We have proven our ability to fight together as one to keep deadly threats at bay, and we have the power to come to the rescue and ensure that our backyards are safe havens for our vulnerable avian friends for generations to come.
Whether you like it or not, if you are not currently trapping then it is extremely likely you have rats prowling your neighbourhood unseen.
By installing and monitoring easy-to-use traps in our backyards, we can have an enormous impact on the survival rates of our at-risk birds.
The Miramar Peninsula is a wildly successful proof of concept. Overwhelming public engagement has resulted in comprehensive trap networks that have almost entirely eliminated rats from the peninsula.
Possums are but a distant memory, and stoats and weasels are now goners as well. And the results speak for themselves; the peninsula is alive with birdsong, and backyards are thriving with grateful airborne visitors.
The primary culprits are rats, stoats and possums.
The results of backyard trapping are good for us humans too. It has long been known that spending time in natural spaces has enormous positive effects on our mental health, and spending more time in our backyards can only ever be a good thing. Recent research has shown that participation in predator trapping provides even more benefit to our mental, physical, and social health and wellbeing.
And the trapping doesn't have to stop in the backyard. Getting involved with community predator-control groups is a fantastic way to engage with like-minded people, and to work together in nature to achieve a common goal.
New Zealand is full of community-led organisations desperate for volunteers to help rid our forests of predators, providing the perfect opportunity to spend mutually healing time in nature surrounded by birdsong.
There is indescribable satisfaction to be had when sitting in one's backyard with a warm cup of tea marvelling at the birdsong one helped cultivate. I love watching the tui come to feed on the kowhai, following the lives of the piwakawaka family nesting safely in the feijoa tree at the back of the garden, and observing the inter-species power struggles for dominance over the birdbath.
It is estimated that one trap in every fifth urban backyard is all it takes to create a safe environment for our native wildlife to flourish. Imagine what could be achieved if all of Aotearoa came together to rid our nation of the predators our ancestors gifted our country.
For more information on backyard trapping, to find out where to get your own trap, or to find predator control projects happening near you, visit predatorfreenz.org.
• Tom Hessell is, among other things, a hut warden in Tongariro National Park, an airline pilot, and a long-time conservation enthusiast.
