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Monitoring
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Without monitoring we are guided by hunches and anecdote, rather than by real evidence that we are doing what we have set out to do. It makes sense, therefore, to establish a monitoring framework at the same time that you set out your project plan; this will allow you to evaluate progress towards your group’s objectives. |
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Water
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Is your stream or pond teeming with native fish or have introduced fish taken over? You might find that there are some really interesting native fish in streams near your place. These fish might include the secretive “native trout” (grown-up whitebait), or spectacular redfin bullies, or the top predators in our streams - eels. |
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Land
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 Five minute bird counts are a common and simple way to assess the health of the environment. One small hurdle is you have to know your bird species - what they look like and what they sound like!
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Land
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 This is an important and useful form of monitoring as invertebrates outweigh all other terrestrial species with an estimated 20,000 - 30,000 species in NZ. Close relationships between invertebrate populations, birds and introduced predator populations exist. There are 2 widely used methods to monitor invertebrate populations..... |
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Land
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Mustelids and stoats in particular are a significant predator of native wildlife, especially birds. They are present throughout mainland NZ and can have home ranges of up to 100-200 hectares. Abundance varies seasonally with lowest densities in winter and spring, and highest during summer. |
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Land
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 For possum control the ideal grid is 100m x 100m given enough time and providing the baits are kept fresh. You may also want to try pre-feeding a couple times and mapping where you get most of your activity with a view to boosting bait station numbers in areas where there is a lot of activity. |
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Land
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Warrior kill traps have proven effective and humane in the trapping of possums in WaNZ projects. Key to their placement is knowledge of where to site the traps .... |
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Land
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 Rodent baiting in WaNZ projects use 1st generation Diphacinone baits, a humane and low residue form of toxin. Positioning of stations is key to successful coverage ....
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Land
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Is your garden abounding with native animals or do predators rule? You can find out with a Black Trakka. The Black Trakka was originally designed by Warren Agnew to determine what types of pests (including rats, mice, stoats and hedgehogs) were lurking in our forests and backyards but has been found to reveal just as much about the presence of native animals such as lizards, wetas and other insects. |
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