The trust’s annual report shows it received $1,364,107 in donations, fundraising and the like and it paid out $883,384 in donations and grants and another $160,888 for services.
Predator Free Dunedin manager Rhys Millar said in the report that over the next four years the trust would support its partners’ work to remove possums from 9000ha on Otago Peninsula and to suppress possum and mustelid species on more than 12,000ha north of Dunedin in the Halo Project area around Orokonui Ecosanctuary.
‘‘Urban Dunedin will link the two project landscapes, with city householders encouraged to take part in predator control efforts to create a corridor of safe habitat,’’ he said.
‘‘We also aim to eradicate predators from two small ‘stepping stones’ in the Otago Harbour, Quarantine Island and Goat Island.
‘‘These predator-free landscapes are the key to having wildlife populations return to our city to flourish.’’
Among the successes of its partners, the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group work was highlighted: trustee Brendon Cross’ ‘‘possum aversion fence’’ was now being tested at Zero Invasive Predators’ Lincoln facility, and the residual trap catch figure for possums dropped to less than 1% last year, from a high of 30% in 2017.
‘‘Predator Free Dunedin plans to ... make the city a place where robins play in your garden, kaka hang out in the Octagon, and all native birds can flourish.’’
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Encouraging native tree planting in home gardens creates a by far greater better enviroment accross the entire city. At cost native trees would go a long way to getting this done. Unfortantally these groups are tried up with a paid entry parks that profit from increased bird numbers in localised spots. The publics view is that 1080 us working and there is no need to trap your own land because DoC has it under control is a major factor in the public not being involved. 1080 has not worked for over 60 years and it will never work. I see by far greater bird life in areas that have never had 1080 despite clear evidance of high 'pest' numbers.
I agree with the native plantings. To much emphasis on extermination and not enough on conservation. For example if we were to remove all the cattle off the Otago Peninsula and restore all that marginal farm land it to its native glory, then I believe with sensible pest control the biodiversity benefits would far out way the attempt to exterminate two or three specific species from the whole of Dunedin.