The Predator Free Hamilton Trust was established in 2016 to work with Hamilton residents, institutions and agencies to encourage and coordinate the effective and humane control and eradication of predator species within the city. The Trusts members have a wealth of experience and are committed to effective predator control.
Hamilton boasts an extensive gully system and it’s been the Trust’s primary focus to establish community trapping groups to protect these unique areas, but anyone in the city is encouraged to trap predators in their backyards. Safeguarding native wildlife and increasing biodiversity within the city is the ultimate goal, employing predator control as a conservation tool to achieve it.
In terms of predators, the target species are rats, possums and stoats. Only humane kill traps tested by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) are used. Traps are enclosed in tunnels or boxes to prevent non-target species from being caught or injured and no poison at all is used.
PFH and environmental hub Go Eco have a Trap Library that began in July 2019. Rat and small stoat traps are available to purchase and more expensive possum traps are available to hire during the Go Eco shop hours or via the online shop. The idea behind a trap library is that by providing affordable traps, support and relevant information to the public, it will encourage people to become actively involved and ultimately work towards the Predator Free 2050 goal. Even if these people are never involved in a community group, collectively they are still contributing to reducing predator numbers in the urban area. Currently there is no other agency providing a predator control service like this in Hamilton. Traps are funded primarily through grants and the wooden rat tunnels are made by a collaboration between Corrections and DoC.
A part-time Predator Control Community Coordinator role was created in February 2020 to facilitate trapping in community groups by providing support and expertise. The role also entails advocating the importance of predator control, education and workshops, working with schools and youth groups, media and communication.
For further information please contact Predator Control Community Coordinator Karen Barlow karen@goeco.org.nz or 0272406879Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/predatorfreehamilton/Website https://www.predatorfreehamilton.org.nz/
