Volunteer trappers acknowledged

2 April 2014

The annual Volunteer Workshop and Trappers Dinner held on 28 March 2014, marked another successful year for dozens of volunteers from around the region.

More than 75 volunteers from a wide range of pest control groups came together in an annual event organised by the Whakatāne Kiwi Trust. Major prizes were sponsored by White Island Tours and Frontier Helicopters, and funding was provided by Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Whakatāne District Council and the Department of Conservation.

Volunteers from all walks of life donate their time to the Whakatāne Kiwi Project, Eastern Bay of Plenty Forest and Bird and a wide range of other community-based conservation projects. The annual event rewards and acknowledges this effort that all volunteers make to conservation.

Ross Pierson from the Bryans Beach Area Community Group said that the event was much more than just a celebration of the work completed.

“It is a great opportunity to see what other groups are doing and compare notes – we can talk about what is working and what is not. We work together and share the knowledge with others. The presentations make sure that we are up to date with changes in our areas and what some of the larger organisations have going on,” Mr Pierson said.

There is unanimous understanding in the group of the destruction caused by stoats, cats and rabbits in our native habitats. At this year’s event, there was also an acknowledgement that the groups should look at the smaller pests with rats and mice to be a higher priority for the coming year.

“There is a lot of great work going on with Coastcare and other planting events, but there is no point in planting dozens of native trees if they are eaten to the ground by rabbits within a week. Predator control work provides the foundation of which we can re-build our native environment,” Mr Pierson said.

You can find out more about Whakatāne Kiwi Trust and how you can get involved on their websitewww.whakatanekiwi.org.nz.

ENDS

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