Help us protect Whakatāne’s precious wildlife and spectacular native forest!
The Whakatāne district is blessed with not only a stunning natural environment, but abundant indigenous wildlife. Kiwi, our iconic national bird, literally live in our backyards. Residents and visitors to the township are able to visit not just one, but three, public scenic reserves and step straight into kiwi territory. This exceptional set of circumstances has led to Whakatāne gaining official trademark recognition as the ‘Kiwi Capital of the World™’
However, without active management kiwi and other native species are still at risk of population decline and extinction. The Whakatāne Kiwi Trust was established to provide a vehicle for community involvement in the Whakatāne Kiwi Project (e.g. volunteering) and a means of delivering the project’s pest control programme.
Trap sponsorship is another way that individuals, businesses and organisations can support the Trust’s pest control work. By sponsoring a trap, you will make a tangible contribution to pest eradication and protecting our native taonga (treasures) in Whakatāne.
Sponsor a stoat trap in the Kiwi Trust network
The cost to sponsor a stoat trap is $135 per annum. This money will be used to support the Trust’s pest control programme by funding operational costs such as: bait, trap maintenance, trap replacement (as many of our traps are nearly 20 years old!), trap network expansion and contractor expenses.
All of our traps are regularly checked and rebaited (usually once a fortnight) by our dedicated team of volunteer ‘trappers’. You can choose a trap(s) to sponsor by following this link to a map of our trap network: http://www.whakatanekiwi.com/map.aspx
Click on each trap to view the most recent catches and identify the name of the trap you wish to sponsor (e.g. MK33). You can also have your business or organisation’s logo displayed at your trap’s location on the map, by mailing a JPEG or PNG logo file and your trap number to: marketing@whakatanekiwi.org.nz
This is a great, low cost way to advertise your business or compete with colleagues, friends and family for the most ‘trap catches’! So, take time to choose your trap wisely!
Buy a stoat trap for your backyard
Whakatāne residents can also purchase a subsidised, DOC-200 predator trap from our friends at HALO Whakatāne for just $60!
The target pest species for this Department of Conservation-approved trap are rats, hedgehogs, weasels and stoats. These traps are made locally by the Whakatāne Rotary Men’s Shed Team, and include a stainless steel trap mechanism and ‘weka-proof’ design. The traps cost $135 to make; however HALO is able to sell them for just $60 thanks to funding provided by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Environmental Enhancement Fund.
All you need to do is find a suitable position for the trap and provide your street address to the HALO team, so the trap’s location and any catches can be recorded for monitoring purposes. Assistance with trap set-up and monitoring can also be provided by HALO volunteers if required.
You can also personalise your trap by painting and decorating it – get creative! Traps make a great gift or raffle prize with a difference!
To find out more go to the HALO Whakatāne website: https://www.halowhakatane.org.nz/how-you-can-help
To contact us or find out more about what we do:
Email: marketing@whakatanekiwi.org.nz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whakatanekiwi/