Predator-Free Taupō update🐀
Thankyou BBQ, Backyard Trapping & Getting Involved 🐭
With the planting season behind us for a time, we made the most of the opportunity to focus on Predator Free Taupō.
In February, we fired up the BBQ at the Waipahihi Botanical Gardens to celebrate and thank the incredible trapping volunteers who regularly maintain traplines across our community. It was a great chance for trappers to connect, share stories, and see the wider network of mahi happening across Taupō. These moments are a reminder that behind every trap checked is a passionate person helping protect our local environment.
Checking out the trapping map
Volunteer Thank you BBQ at the Waipahihi Botanical Gardens in February
We’re always keen to welcome new volunteers. Whether you’re looking to get involved in a trapline or just starting out, even placing a single rat trap in your backyard can make a real difference for our native birds. It’s a simple but great way to take action at home.
If you’re interested, we can help you get started:
Backyard rat traps are available for $30
Possum traps available to purchase or hire
Connections to local groups or traplines needing support
Just get in touch — we’d love to have you involved.
Tūrangi Backyard Trapping Initiative
Trapbox building workshops are always popular
We’ve recently applied to Predator Free NZ’s Backyard Communities Fund to support a new initiative in Tūrangi, and the timing couldn’t be better.
With the support of Predator Free Taupō, Taina Hamilton has generously stepped up to champion this project locally. Together, we’re planning a series of workshops to help the community get involved, starting with a monitoring workshop during Conservation Week at the Tūrangi Library. This will give people the chance to discover what’s living in their backyard and learn how they can help protect our native species.
From there, we’ll move into a hands-on trapbox building workshop, where community members can build their own trap boxes to take home and learn more about safe and successful backyard trapping. Fingers crossed for a successful application to help fund this kaupapa.
This initiative will build on the fantastic trapping efforts already underway along the Tongariro River, at Rotopounamu, and throughout lakeside communities, including Tokaanu, Pukawa, Ōmori, and Kuratau.
Trapline Volunteer Vacancies
We currently have a few traplines throughout Taupo needing extra hands, you can choose something that suits your fitness level and experience, a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference:
Centennial Drive – 8 rat traps within a Greening Taupō restoration site
Spa Park service lane – 8 rat traps
Broadlands Geothermal Area – a more technical line with 10 DOC 250s and AT220s
Opepe - an extensive trap network throughout the reserve run by a team of volunteers
Chad St - 7 Rat traps taking you down to the lakefront
Sally and Lockie the dog have been absolute champions of our Chad Street trapline. Their regular walks through the Chad Street Gully included checking seven rat traps, and over time they removed more than 100 rats and mice, a huge contribution to keeping pest numbers down and giving our native birds a better chance to thrive.
As Sally and Lockie shift their routine, this trapline is now looking for a new volunteer to step in and continue their fantastic work.
If you’re keen to step into one of these roles or learn more, we’d love to hear from you!
Sally and Lockie
Pics Peanut Butter If you need any, we have plenty available for putting on your traps, not your toast! It's not for human consumption, it contains toxic substances at levels that are harmful to health.
