Volunteer journalist Shaleen Singh-Ark talked to Upper Waitematā Ecology Network Pest Co-ordinator Louis Foot about the work he does with our volunteers to eradicate pest animals.
While environmental restoration projects require a lot of work to initiate, they require an equal amount of effort to maintain. Upper Waitematā Ecology Network Pest Coordinator co-ordinator Louis Foot does exactly that by ensuring restoration projects’ future protection with traplines.
For over 10 years and counting, traps have been used to target pests such as rats, possums and other mustelid species (including ferrets and stoats) in and around Rosedale Park.
Steve Cammell and his sons are known to have constructed the initial foundations for the traplines within the Rosedale area. However, in recent years, Louis Foot has been leading the way, phasing out the once-popular bait traps with simple ‘snap traps’ loaded with peanut butter.
This change in pest control is an attempt to encourage Te Hōnonga a Iwi volunteers, and the wider New Zealand public, to take a chemical-free approach to pest control while still aiming for a predator-free 2050.
Louis took up his current job at UWEN in October 2023, tackling the work in addition to his role as an eco-facilitator in the Greenhithe Community Trust.
It was the first time the pest-free coordinator position was advertised, so it was up to him to determine what his work would involve. Now just over a year later, he has been able to set up, improve and maintain the pest traplines.
Snap traps are set up every 50 to 100 metres, depending on the type of pest being targeted and their standard home range (i.e. their average travelling distance during daily activities or to find a mate.)
For example, New Zealand radio-tracking studies in forests show the average ship rat home range is in the order of 103 to 200 metres for females and 159 to 550 metres. So one trap every 50 metres will cover their territory well enough that they become used to the traps.
For possums, traps are set every 100 metres. Pests must see the traps regularly as they are ‘neophobic’, meaning they are afraid of new objects. If the trap is sighted regularly by a rat or a possum, it will become more comfortable around it, leading to a higher likelihood the pest will engage with the trap.
Other factors also affect the placement of traps.
A ‘halo-effect’ for pest control is crucial to restrict pests from entering high priority areas. If pests are not contained within a region, this could allow them to move through the same spaces as native bird species.
Louis describes the traps as ‘traffic lights.’
“We can think of restoration sites like highways that allow birds to travel from point A to B. By creating native ‘highways’, we also need to ensure that they are moving safely with ‘traffic lights’ - that’s what the traps do to contribute to their safety.”
Some monitoring devices are loaded with ink pads so that pest numbers and species can be counted in a non-invasive way by tracking footprint patterns. As time goes on, this will allow teams to collect more data about pest migration and the population size of native species within protected areas.
Maintaining the traps is key for a healthy restoration site. In the past, members of the public have tampered with the traps that have been set up by Louis and restoration volunteers. With months of work being stolen in just one week, volunteers had to think of new ways to hide the traps. It motivates the team to ensure that the traps are well monitored.
The biggest takeaway Louis has seen from his work at Te Hōnonga a Iwi is how much people get involved in the restoration and protection of local spaces.
“The most rewarding part is seeing people who wouldn’t know that much about pest or plant control or conservation, in general, take up a whole area themselves and appreciate what we have as a country.”
He says that many people from all backgrounds, including school students, parents, and staff members of neighbouring businesses, all enjoy putting time and resources into the pest control that is undertaken at Te Hōnonga a Iwi. Particular shout outs go to staff from Gurit, Forbes Packaging, and Quinovic, and Eloise Kidd, who manages a volunteer roster for a group of students who clear the traps and ensure they are stable and secure.
Additional help is always needed though. If you (or anyone you know) is able to volunteer time and resources towards the current pest control programme, contact Louis Foot on uwen.pestcoordinator@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can contribute to this work by donating a trap through Forest and Bird’s Give a Trap programme.
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