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News Update - April 2007
Hard Work Pays Off
Over the last two months a lot of the hard work put in by volunteers for the Pomona Island Charitable Trust has started to pay off. Our recent request for resource consent for an aerial application of brodifacoum to eradicate the rodents from Pomona and Rona Islands has been granted. A total of eight submissions were received with tow opposing the application. As a result of consultation with submitters the Trust was fortunate that it did not need to go through a costly hearing process, for which we are grateful.
Our applications for funding have also been successful. We are pleased to report that the Community Trust of Southland has awarded the Trust a grant of $14195 towards the cost of our rodent eradication project. Together with a significant donation from an anonymous benefactor, this means that we can proceed with the eradication of rodents from Pomona and Rona Islands this coming winter. We plan to undertake the aerial application of brodifacoum some time between July and September 2007. The weather will play a major role in determining exactly when the drops occur. There will be two aerial applications of brodifacoum at least ten days apart. This is to maximise the success of the operation, especially with regard to mouse eradication. If you would like to know more we have put together an information sheet detailing the key facts of the rodent eradication project on Pomona and Rona Islands.
Possum and Deer Eradication
The Trustees are very excited that the rodent eradication will take place this year. However, there is still a lot of work to do before the aerial operation can take place. Apart of from the administration involved with the aerial drop (e.g. ordering bait, helicopters and organising volunteers), it is extremely important that we significantly reduce the population of possum on Pomona prior to the rodent eradication. We will therefore embark on a trapping programme starting in May. Volunteers will work alongside professional contractors to catch as many possums as possible before 1 July 2007. Baitbags containing Feratox will also be used especially around some of the hard to reach coastline areas. Reducing the possum numbers is essential so as to prevent them from consuming the bait intended for the rats and mice.
The Trust is please to announce the support of Transpower with a grant (administered by the NZ National Parks & Conservation Foundation) of $9000 towards to cost of possum eradication from Pomona Island. A donation from a second anonymous benefactor will also contribute towards the cost of possum eradication.
Before we can eradicate rodents it is also necessary to try to remove the resident deer population from Pomona Island. There are two reasons for this: i) to reduce the risk of deer consuming the brodifacoum bait intended for the rats and mice and ii) to reduce the risk of contaminated deer from swimming across to the mainland. Whilst it is our aim to remove all deer resident on the island, the Trust knows that it is possible that deer could remain on Pomona, in very low numbers, or that deer could swim back to before we start the aerial application of brodifacoum. The resource consent requires a hunting exclusion zone on some ares on the mainland and signs will be placed at key access points warning hunters of the possibility that deer in this area could have been exposed to brodifacoum. The Trust is engaging professional hunters, who will be spending time on Pomona Island in May, to remove the deer so as to maximise the chances for success.
Stoat Update
As if all of this activity wasn't enough, we have also continued to check the stoat traps on Pomona, Rona and the adjacent mainland on a monthly basis. We can report that rat numbers are down significantly on Pomona compared to previous checks with 29 caught in February and only 15 rats in March. Stoat numbers have, however, increased slightly with 2 trapped in February and 3 in March. The April trap check will take place on 20 April - if you would like to help out please email us at pomona.island@ihug.co.nz. Rat numbers on the adjacent mainland are also down with 7 trapped in February and only 4 in March. Stoat numbers are fluctuating with 7 in February compared with 2 in March.
In February we did our first trap check on Rona Island and to our disappointment we caught one stoat. This is the first time that a stoat has been trapped on Rona for a number of years. We have been told by the experts at DOC that if there was likely to be a stoat on Rona it would most likely happen in a beech mast year like this year. Let's hope that this is an isolated incident.
Other News
On Saturday 4 April the Trust hosted a group of members of the Southland Branch of Forest and Bird. A total of 13 people enjoyed a three hour trip to Pomona to see the work of the Trust firsthand. A brief overview of the work completed so far and the Trust's plans for the future was given, followed by a short walk to check out some of the stoat traps on the island. A hardy group of four made a quick dash up to the deer pen to check that it was still fully operational before a somewhat lumpy boat ride back to Manapouri.
The Trust has also put together two small display boards informing the public of our work on Pomona Island. One display panel has been placed at the West Arm Visitor Centre and the other in the Te Anau Department of Conservation Visitor Centre. All visitors going to Doubtful Sound should see our display at West Arm as it features prominently outside the toilet!! Donations boxes have been placed at both sites and all donations received are helping us with our pest eradication operations.
Interested in Volunteering?
If you are interested in volunteering on the island please take a look at the volunteer page on this website. In particular the Trust is looking for people to help with our possum and rodent eradication projects. For the possum work we are looking for fit individuals to spend a few days on the island in May to help our contractors set traps and to help remove dead possums from the island. Experience in possum trapping could be an advantage, but not essential.
The rodent eradication project requires volunteers to help load bait into hoppers for the aerial application of brodifacoum. The timing of this cannot be set as it is weather dependent, but volunteers would need to be ready at 48 hours notice to help with the operation. If you are interested in helping our with either of these projects please email us at pomona.island@ihug.co.nz.
The next few months will be very hectic for the Trust, but we will keep you posted of our progress.
News Update - April 2007
Hard Work Pays Off
Over the last two months a lot of the hard work put in by volunteers for the Pomona Island Charitable Trust has started to pay off. Our recent request for resource consent for an aerial application of brodifacoum to eradicate the rodents from Pomona and Rona Islands has been granted. A total of eight submissions were received with tow opposing the application. As a result of consultation with submitters the Trust was fortunate that it did not need to go through a costly hearing process, for which we are grateful.
Our applications for funding have also been successful. We are pleased to report that the Community Trust of Southland has awarded the Trust a grant of $14195 towards the cost of our rodent eradication project. Together with a significant donation from an anonymous benefactor, this means that we can proceed with the eradication of rodents from Pomona and Rona Islands this coming winter. We plan to undertake the aerial application of brodifacoum some time between July and September 2007. The weather will play a major role in determining exactly when the drops occur. There will be two aerial applications of brodifacoum at least ten days apart. This is to maximise the success of the operation, especially with regard to mouse eradication. If you would like to know more we have put together an information sheet detailing the key facts of the rodent eradication project on Pomona and Rona Islands.
Possum and Deer Eradication
The Trustees are very excited that the rodent eradication will take place this year. However, there is still a lot of work to do before the aerial operation can take place. Apart of from the administration involved with the aerial drop (e.g. ordering bait, helicopters and organising volunteers), it is extremely important that we significantly reduce the population of possum on Pomona prior to the rodent eradication. We will therefore embark on a trapping programme starting in May. Volunteers will work alongside professional contractors to catch as many possums as possible before 1 July 2007. Baitbags containing Feratox will also be used especially around some of the hard to reach coastline areas. Reducing the possum numbers is essential so as to prevent them from consuming the bait intended for the rats and mice.
The Trust is please to announce the support of Transpower with a grant (administered by the NZ National Parks & Conservation Foundation) of $9000 towards to cost of possum eradication from Pomona Island. A donation from a second anonymous benefactor will also contribute towards the cost of possum eradication.
Before we can eradicate rodents it is also necessary to try to remove the resident deer population from Pomona Island. There are two reasons for this: i) to reduce the risk of deer consuming the brodifacoum bait intended for the rats and mice and ii) to reduce the risk of contaminated deer from swimming across to the mainland. Whilst it is our aim to remove all deer resident on the island, the Trust knows that it is possible that deer could remain on Pomona, in very low numbers, or that deer could swim back to before we start the aerial application of brodifacoum. The resource consent requires a hunting exclusion zone on some ares on the mainland and signs will be placed at key access points warning hunters of the possibility that deer in this area could have been exposed to brodifacoum. The Trust is engaging professional hunters, who will be spending time on Pomona Island in May, to remove the deer so as to maximise the chances for success.
Stoat Update
As if all of this activity wasn't enough, we have also continued to check the stoat traps on Pomona, Rona and the adjacent mainland on a monthly basis. We can report that rat numbers are down significantly on Pomona compared to previous checks with 29 caught in February and only 15 rats in March. Stoat numbers have, however, increased slightly with 2 trapped in February and 3 in March. The April trap check will take place on 20 April - if you would like to help out please email us at pomona.island@ihug.co.nz. Rat numbers on the adjacent mainland are also down with 7 trapped in February and only 4 in March. Stoat numbers are fluctuating with 7 in February compared with 2 in March.
In February we did our first trap check on Rona Island and to our disappointment we caught one stoat. This is the first time that a stoat has been trapped on Rona for a number of years. We have been told by the experts at DOC that if there was likely to be a stoat on Rona it would most likely happen in a beech mast year like this year. Let's hope that this is an isolated incident.
Other News
On Saturday 4 April the Trust hosted a group of members of the Southland Branch of Forest and Bird. A total of 13 people enjoyed a three hour trip to Pomona to see the work of the Trust firsthand. A brief overview of the work completed so far and the Trust's plans for the future was given, followed by a short walk to check out some of the stoat traps on the island. A hardy group of four made a quick dash up to the deer pen to check that it was still fully operational before a somewhat lumpy boat ride back to Manapouri.
The Trust has also put together two small display boards informing the public of our work on Pomona Island. One display panel has been placed at the West Arm Visitor Centre and the other in the Te Anau Department of Conservation Visitor Centre. All visitors going to Doubtful Sound should see our display at West Arm as it features prominently outside the toilet!! Donations boxes have been placed at both sites and all donations received are helping us with our pest eradication operations.
Interested in Volunteering?
If you are interested in volunteering on the island please take a look at the volunteer page on this website. In particular the Trust is looking for people to help with our possum and rodent eradication projects. For the possum work we are looking for fit individuals to spend a few days on the island in May to help our contractors set traps and to help remove dead possums from the island. Experience in possum trapping could be an advantage, but not essential.
The rodent eradication project requires volunteers to help load bait into hoppers for the aerial application of brodifacoum. The timing of this cannot be set as it is weather dependent, but volunteers would need to be ready at 48 hours notice to help with the operation. If you are interested in helping our with either of these projects please email us at pomona.island@ihug.co.nz.
The next few months will be very hectic for the Trust, but we will keep you posted of our progress.
