Tamariki Tackle Pests
ENVIRONMENTAL
Pest control not only positively affects biodiversity but also plays a key role in preserving new plantings. To tackle this, the PCG ran a pest hunting photo competition over the October school holidays.
The idea came about to address threats like hares, deer, and goats, which can damage plants, as well as predators like feral cats, weasels, stoats and rats that prey on birds, eggs, lizards, and wētā. The competition was a hit, with catchment whānau really getting behind the initiative.
PCG committee member Sam Clark came up with the idea and was blown away with the response. To take part, all participants had to do was catch a pest, take a photo—nothing too gory, ideally—and share it on the PCG’s Facebook page.
“I think the simplicity of it struck a chord with the community, because we ended up with far more entries than we expected. Thanks to the competition, the catchment now has 169 fewer pests causing trouble for plants and wildlife, so I’d say we’ll be running it again,” says Sam.
“The competition was about getting involved in a fun, hands-on way. It was awesome to see local families taking an active interest in protecting our environment.”
“We hope the PCG project as a whole will be a lasting, intergenerational effort,” says Sam.