Doc and the club will host an open day at Wye Creek today to set out 35 stoat traps. It will be the first step in a long-term plan to protect the flora and fauna of the 250ha Wye Creek ecosystem.
Members will carry the traps to marked locations. Doc was calling for volunteers from the community, as well as the club, to help with performing monthly stoat trap checks.
Wye Creek was an ideal site for community groups, volunteers from overseas, or businesses to contribute to as it was only a 20-minute drive from Queenstown, community relations ranger Susie Geh said.
The department identified the creek as one of New Zealand's priority conservation sites for conservation management as it was one of the few remaining ecosystems which stretched from lake edge to mountain top.
After a brief training session, volunteers could spend a few hours or a few days doing some valuable conservation work in one of the few forested areas in the Remarkables.
The open day will be held from 10am to 2pm today, starting at the Wye Creek car park. Anyone keen to help should bring sturdy shoes, a large tramping pack (if possible) food and drink for the walk and a willingness to carry stoat traps uphill.
