Going High-Tech with a Foundation North Grant

Six NZ AutoTraps have been purchased for pest control on the Mahurangi West peninsula

Six NZ AutoTraps have been purchased for pest control on the Mahurangi West peninsula, thanks to a $5000 grant from Foundation North. Pest Control Coordinator for hub 4, Mike Neil says, the new high-tech automatic traps will be deployed across the peninsula to help stem the tide of possums attacking birds’ eggs, chicks, and eating up to 3kg of leaves and fruit every night!

Left: Mike Neil, a volunteer trapping coordinator for Mahurangi West Pest, is thrilled with the delivery of NZ AutoTraps – self-loading AT220s designed to capture possums – courtesy of a generous grant from Foundation North. Right: One of the new traps in situ with a ramp for easy access for egg & chick scavenging possums, which have left this forest block on the peninsula without any bird song!