The Halo Project, P.O. Box 18, Port Chalmers, 9050 www.haloproject.org.nz | Email: [email protected] Phone: 022 026 2115 | LocalLandline: 03 3959 753 August 2020 Tēnā koutou katoa! In this issue we look at what we’ve been up to since April across our four workstreams: PREDATOR FOREST HABITAT FRESHWATER SEABIRD HABITAT FREE RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT RESTORATION The Halo Project is driven by community input and involvement – thanks to all who participate, give their time, energy, expertise and passion! We really appreciate you. PREDATOR FREE Halo Dashboard This year we have August Update removed: We have been pleasantly surprised with the increased The Halo team and star RATS 433 interest as people have had more time at home to volunteers have been POSSUMS notice what was, and wasn’t, in their backyards. working hard to establish 398 Many people reported seeing a diverse range of bird a stoat trapping network species and others noticed some less desirable across about 2200ha of HEDGEHOGS 181 predators such as rats and possums. the Heyward Point area. This work is almost MICE 117 complete and a big thanks to the team and STOATS 43 landowners for all of the hard work and support - WEASELS 24 together we can make great things happen. FERRETS 20 Total #:1216 Communities have continued to protect and Total # traps:1526 enhance their patches, and, with our focus Volunteer expanding to the West hours Harbour communities 3,400 from Roseneath to Ravensbourne, we are thrilled to be working in new places with new faces. We are also amazed at the high abundance of predators through these areas. Thanks to the huge A big thank you for the effort by our warm reception and volunteers. The Halo Project area with locations of all traps (TrapNZ) support so far. 2 PREDATOR FREE (continued) Predator Free Communities Our backyard trapping programme is expanding by the day as we commence work in the harbourside settlements of Roseneath, Blanket Bay, St Leonards, Burkes, Maia and Ravensbourne. We’ve split the areas into chunks and will be working our way toward inner Dunedin over the coming months. In June, Roseneath residents received a letterbox drop containing a pest detection pack so people could ascertain which pests are lurking in their Possum territory markings with backyard. Using our non-toxic, hypoallergenic, mangled chew card Volunteer installing information signs peanut butter baited chew cards, many residents reported possum chews on their cards. Upon further investigation into the bushy corridors on the Roseneath peninsula, we also found extensive possum sign; scratching on trees, territorial marking and lots and lots of possum poo! Traps have been installed on public reserve land and trap catch numbers have been impressive. We look forward to decreasing the possum populations in the area over the coming months as we head into the bird breeding season. Different types of possum poo Family outing to check traps What’s that trap? THE TRAPINATOR A Trapinator possum trap mounted on a tree The underside of the Trapinator where possums enter the trap (Photo: Trap.co.nz) The Trapinator Possum Trap hit the market in 2017 How do possums get trapped? after being developed by trapping cavaliers Phil The Trapinator is mounted at least 1.2 metres Waddington, Darren Peters and Ross Mitchell. above the ground onto a fence post or tree. They wanted to develop something light weight, Possums climb up underneath the baited trap and easy to assemble, install and use. This trap meets push up into the trap to bite down on the baited all those criteria. It has satisfied the National bite block. When possums tug on the bite block Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) the mechanism triggers. standards for humane kill traps, and are one of the safest options to use around domestic pets, native birds and children. The Halo project uses a specially formulated bait on the bite block which we supply as part of our These are the perfect traps for residential host-a-possum trap scheme. backyards and because of their light weight they can be easily transported into the bush. If you live in the Halo Project area and want to host a Trapinator possum trap, contact us and we’ll come and do a site assessment, provide H&S guidance and training on how to use the trap! [email protected] / 022 026 2115 3 and are likely increasing in number, suggesting predator control efforts PREDATOR FREE (continued) are benefiting robin populations. Have you seen any South Island robins? Despite robins not being detected in seven new baseline data collection Our aim is to give native plants and to monitor as we can then measure sites, we have numerous reports of animals the opportunity to thrive by the effectiveness of predator control people seeing them in many reducing and maintaining low outside the predator-proof fence. locations outside Orokonui possum and stoat numbers. South Monitoring them also gives us a Ecosanctuary, including Graham’s Island robin/ toutouwai, reintroduced better idea of where to target Bush, Mihiwaka and Doctors Point. into Orokonui Ecosanctuary in 2010- predator control to benefit robins. Public reports contribute to our 2011, are one such taoka species The recent resurvey of five robin knowledge of robin dispersal and dispersing into the Halo Project sites (previously surveyed in 2018) distribution. Please email us if you area. Being vulnerable to rats and showed that robin are now present see one! Remember, please contact stoats makes them a good species at some sites over multiple years us if you see kākā too. Spotting South Island robins South Island robin ecology Look: in native and exotic forest and Toutouwai are territorial and scrub areas. pairs tend to stay in the same Listen: robins make alarm calls territory over successive consisting of a single ‘chuck’, a years. They are relatively ‘downscale’ (a series of chucks long-lived birds in areas decreasing in pitch), and a without predators, with birds distinctive territorial song. Listen to recorded living for up to 16 sound recordings at years. Their territory size www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz depends on the density of Record: date, time, accurate robins in the area and the location (GPS or map coordinates food resources available. For ideal), number of robin seen/heard. comprehensive information, Photograph: if possible. images and sounds look up Report: to [email protected] NZ Birds Online. Kakaruai/ South Island robin or upload your photo and (Photo: Craig McKenzie) observation online at iNaturalist NZ. Forest canopy on the mend To help us understand how Foliar browse index (FBI) is the widespread canopy death but with effective the possum control standard method used nationally to fewer possums roaming the area, programme is in the Mt Cargill/ monitor possum damage and the study found native trees are on Mihiwaka area, we monitor both canopy thickness on palatable themend. the possum population and native trees. The method uses vegetation health. Results from repeated measures of Even with these great results there vegetation monitoring show a permanently-marked trees to are still plenty of possums out significant improvement in tree determine trends in both the foliar there, and we know that their health, likely due to reduced cover and dieback of tree populations rebuild quickly, so the possum numbers thanks to canopies, possum browse on their impetus is with us all to keep up OSPRI’s possum control operation. leaves and stem (trunk) use. the intensity of trapping. Possum bite and scratch marks on Monitoring involves assessing trunks have decreased, showing Check out trees for the amount of damage to fewer trees being used by the Pest their leaves caused by mammals. possums. Detective A combination of 54 māhoe and website kotukutuku/tree fuchsia around Lastly, photopoints can also be Pigeon Hill and Mihiwaka were used to view changes to for details measured. vegetation over time. For example, and the Halo Project has 11 photopoint images of The study coincided with the start sites across Mihiwaka and Pigeon what of an intensive possum control Hill, focussing on species of tree possum programme led by OSPRI, that favoured by possums: haumakaroa damage to manages the ‘TBfree’ programme. (Raukaua simplex/Pseudopanax vegetation OSPRI’s possum monitoring simplex), mountain totara/thin- looks like. shows abundance is down to very barked totara (Podocarpus laetus, low levels in the Mt Cargill area, kaikōmako, Pennantia corymbosa), and the results of vegetation makomako/wineberry (Aristotelia monitoring show that plant species serrata) and putaputawētā/ vulnerable to possum browse (e.g. marbleleaf. Seven of the 11 trees māhoe and tree fuchsia) are showed improved condition recovering. This confirms what between 2016 and 2020. Territory marking: You may notice scratched or we’d expect with this drop in peeled bark on a fruit tree or other tree in your possum numbers. Over time, possums contribute to garden or on a bush walk 4 FOREST HABITAT RESTORATION Forest Restoration Planting Days All nine of the landowners we are working with have funding confirmed for forest restoration on their properties, thanks to Trees That Count, Dunedin City Council Biodiversity Fund, One Billion Trees, and trees from the Corrections Department. If you’re interested in helping us plant these trees and can spare some time, we have planting bees coming up in August and September. They are a great chance to learn more about forest restoration, biodiversity conservation, and local flora and fauna. We also have a Landowner’s Field Day for people interested in enhancing native forest on their properties. Please contact [email protected] to register for either days (for catering purposes) and keep an eye on our Facebook page and Halo website for details.