When Kate moved across the harbour to The Halo Project which is based in Port Chalmers, Kim and I, while still giving a day a week to OPBG, decided to also help Halo.
After concentrating on possums with OPBG, it was quite a learning experience to move on to rats and mustelids (stoats, weasels and ferrets), as well as possums.
Initially we worked on refurbishing a couple of hundred DOC 150 stoat traps that had come out of the Kepler Track Great Walk near Te Anau. Once this was done the next project was to put the traps out on lines throughout the West Harbour, including Aramoana and Heyward Point to name but a few.
It wasn’t too long before we trapped our first stoat. While trapping may not be for everyone it is vitally important and an essential part of introduced predator eradication.
Although this was a different area it was still a challenge as checking trap lines entailed steep walks up areas such as Mt Cargill, Mihiwaka, the summit of Swampy and Grahams Bush. I may not be getting any younger but at least I am getting fitter!
While still working with OPBG and The Halo Project, we have now teamed up with City Sanctuary who are responsible for predator control in the city.
Most of our work for City Sanctuary has so far focused on preparing traps for installation in reserves and backyards. Tasks involve: checking and calibrating DOC 200 mustelid traps, kitting out wooden trap boxes with rat traps attached to corflute mounts, as well as engraving/labelling hundreds of Trapinator possum traps and A24 automatic rat traps.
February 20, 2025
Volunteer Legends: Craig Dunlop — City Sanctuary
maximios city
When Kate moved across the harbour to The Halo Project which is based in Port Chalmers, Kim and I, while still giving a day a week to OPBG, decided to also help Halo.
After concentrating on possums with OPBG, it was quite a learning experience to move on to rats and mustelids (stoats, weasels and ferrets), as well as possums.
Initially we worked on refurbishing a couple of hundred DOC 150 stoat traps that had come out of the Kepler Track Great Walk near Te Anau. Once this was done the next project was to put the traps out on lines throughout the West Harbour, including Aramoana and Heyward Point to name but a few.
It wasn’t too long before we trapped our first stoat. While trapping may not be for everyone it is vitally important and an essential part of introduced predator eradication.
Although this was a different area it was still a challenge as checking trap lines entailed steep walks up areas such as Mt Cargill, Mihiwaka, the summit of Swampy and Grahams Bush. I may not be getting any younger but at least I am getting fitter!
While still working with OPBG and The Halo Project, we have now teamed up with City Sanctuary who are responsible for predator control in the city.
Most of our work for City Sanctuary has so far focused on preparing traps for installation in reserves and backyards. Tasks involve: checking and calibrating DOC 200 mustelid traps, kitting out wooden trap boxes with rat traps attached to corflute mounts, as well as engraving/labelling hundreds of Trapinator possum traps and A24 automatic rat traps.