Predator Free NB

18/06/2026

When it comes to predator control on New Zealand farms, few know their stuff better than experts Cam Speedy and John Bissell.

18/06/2026

A bit of give and take in our community is what allows us to grow. Chur to CCC rangers and the container BBQ and PFNB. We have trap materials, a space to acclimate the timber to coastal BBQ smells and a little bit of upkeep and maintenance to have our community working towards a better future.
It's actually not that big of a chore to put the music on and clean a hotplate as the sun sets.

17/06/2026

Unexpected delivery while catching up with the bro Jase at South paw this afternoon.
A huge thank you to Eastern Sports and Recreation for dropping off another batch of possum lure ingredients. Flour, icing sugar and cinnamon might not look like much, but they help keep our possum control programme running.
Support like this makes a real difference as we continue reducing possum numbers around Rāwhiti Domain and expanding Predator Free New Brighton's work across the peninsula.
Community supporting community. Thank you.

17/06/2026

A little caught out myself as this first trap has caught 1 possum in months. I generally don't carry the drill and ladder etc on circuits so I had to return to move the trap further up from the branch so a possum has easier access to the business end.
Then to have a second catch on the other side of the domain was also a surprise but not unexpected for the terrain and weather conditions.
We seem to now be stopping reinvasion from places not on PFNB trapping areas.
To better stop that happening we are engaged in covering all the territory so we will not have to keep trapping. We'd much rather celebrate the growing native species as positive results than measuring success by catches

15/06/2026

13/06/2026

A shout out to Predator Free Waimairi, who donated a line of traps to help get things started back before we had funding and before PFNB was officially established.
This rat was caught today in one of those original traps.
Almost three years on, those traps are still out there doing exactly what they were intended to do.
Thanks again for helping us get started. It's appreciated more than you probably realise.

13/06/2026

Have you ever wondered how monarch butterflies survive winter in Christchurch?
They're still here.
Unlike their North American relatives, New Zealand monarchs don't migrate across the country. Instead, they spend winter locally, clustering together in sheltered evergreen trees such as pines and macrocarpa.
During winter they enter a dormant state known as diapause, conserving energy through the colder months and only becoming active on warmer, sunny days to feed.
A healthy wintering colony can quickly become obvious when a predator discovers it — sometimes the first sign is a scattering of orange-and-black wings beneath the tree.
These monarchs were spotted wintering over in New Brighton, making the most of today's sunshine amongst the pine needles.

11/06/2026

Today I took someone new for a walk through part of our dune network, and it was a good reminder that there's a lot more happening out there than most people realise.
We spotted rabbit sign, rat sign, bird feeding sign, and a set of tracks that we're still scratching our heads about.
They don't look quite like the rat tracks we were seeing elsewhere, but they don't quite fit what I'd expect from a mustelid either.
What do you reckon? Any trackers out there want to have a guess?
One of the things I love about walking the dunes after rain is that the sand tells a story. Every footprint, feeding mark, burrow, and track gives you another piece of the puzzle.
Monitoring isn't just about what's caught in a trap. It's about understanding what is actually using these habitats and how they're moving through them.
On a less positive note, one trap near a carpark has now been kicked over multiple times.😔 Predator control isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay, but please remember our traps are there to protect native wildlife and are placed with public safety in mind.
For me, the biggest takeaway from today was just how much life there is out there once you start looking closely.
The dunes are always talking. You just have to learn how to read them. 🤓😎

04/06/2026

Relationship status: it's complicated 🐧

Kororā (little blue penguins) are known for forming long-term pair bonds, but partner swaps do happen from time to time. Looking at this trail camera photo Field Team Member Billie came across recently, we're not going to speculate... 👀

Date night, kororā edition?