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Predator Free

Our Purpose

To recover native bird life in the Glenside valley through the eradication of rodents and o'possums.

In Glenside, which is a semi rural community beside the streams, we are keen to manage backyard pests such as possums, river rats, field mice, stoats, hedgehogs, feral cats, rabbits and hares and magpies.

What we do

Provide free traps for residents and show how to use them. The two main types of traps residents receive are Victor traps for rats and Timms Traps for possums. A few specialised traps are also being purchased including DOC200 traps for stoats, and Good Nature traps for rats and possums.

Provide a cleaning and maintenance service for traps.

Maintain a register of trappers and their traps, and kills and catches.

Once a year we hold a social get-together. 

In return, we ask residents to record and send us their catches and kills, and to return traps when they are no longer required. This is a community project so we want everyone with a trap to report their catches. The data is used to determine the effectiveness of the programme to render a suburb pest free through community participation.

Since the project was introduced about 26 households have become actively involved. 

We are part of Predator Free NZ, who provide resources, research and professional support. 

Get involved

Contact

Glenside Progressive Association Inc. email info @ glenside.org.nz

How it began

Glenside's Predator Free programme began in 2014 as an Enhancing the Halo Morgan Foundation initiative to encourage communities to make their gardens and backyards safe havens for native wildlife. Halo Households were provided with cheap and safe predator traps and training on how to manage them. 

On the 12 August 2014 Glenside was officially accepted by the Enhancing the Halo panel to be a predator free community and provided a $5000 grant to purchase traps.

"Glenside secured the $5000 because Gareth and Nick loved our community spirit and well organised planned approach," said 'possum trapper and organiser Allan Brown.

Here's what panel member Nick Tansley had to say when the Grant was announced.

"Hi everyone, Firstly thank you for your wonderful efforts through this project so far. It has generated lots of interest to Enhancing the Halo and we look forward to working on this initiative immensely.

"We have decided to give two grants of $5000. Firstly to Kelvin representing Crofton Downs for winning the public vote and also to Allan representing Glenside residents.

"Both Crofton Downs and Glenside provided detailed trapping plans and outlined their intentions throughout the voting weeks. This showed us just how keen and passionate these two Wellington communities were to take on our challenge....you put so much time and effort into making Wellington the Natural Capital and our team appreciates that hugely."