Monitoring for the Tangihua Lions Lodge Conservation project.

We have set up permanent monitoring lines to record pest numbers for our information and for schools to use as a teaching resource

Our monitoring has two objectives

1. provide monitoring information for our funders and good decision making
2. Provide the schools with the option of teaching students how to monitor pests and general nature study in the bush

Why Monitor pests

Monitoring pest numbers is important in order to gain an accurate understanding of the animals in the forest. In this case we are focusing on the pests we need to eradicate in order to allow the forest to regenerate.

From our monitoring we will learn the following

• Pest density
• Are the methods we are using effective?
• What areas do we need to concentrate on?
• What animals do we need to focus on , e.g we have been successful culling possums but not rats
• How often do we need to do pest control
• Can we begin to introduce birds back into the environment and know they will breed successfully

Monitoring for our sponsers and DOC

Monitoring is required by our funders World Wide Funding , Kiwis for kiwis etc to ensure our project is a good investment.

We are monitoring the numbers of possums, rats and mustelids within the DOC bush area. We will do pre poison monitoring and post poison monitoring to establish

• The effectiveness of previous pest control
• The need for further pest control
• Trends in pest’s numbers over time at the same site

Monitoring options for schools

The schools will be able to apply conservation and maths procedures. There are two options for schools to use. They are permanently set up. The schools will require some disposables such as bait and cards

Trap option

This is to use the trapping line we have set out for schools. This is around the lodge in the no poison area. For more information visit Conservation Trap lines for schools

Using the monitoring lines

The best place to see this is to click here for a pdf file Pest monitoring for schools

Monitoring for the conservation project

As per best practise, the Department of Conservation (DOC) randomly selected 6 monitoring lines for us. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. We have added another one (7) to take in the non poison area. DOC put in two lines and our volunteers have put in the rest.

We use a combination of chew cards for possums plus tunnels and tracking pads for rats. The tunnels and chew cards are set alternatively 25m apart on a 500m line. This there means will be a tunnel at every 50m. The chew cars will also be 50m apart from each other.

Each monitoring line is labelled with the line number R for rat or C for chew card and the number 1-10 for each site e.g M5R2, monitoring line 5, rat tunnel 2 or M7C5 monitoring line 7 chew cards 5.

The BMI (bite mark indicator) or TMI (Track mark indicator) with rat or possum marks is recorded. This is compared as the program moves on. We can also make a note of other animal tracks or marks

The Picture: The chew card (the smaller one) has green peanut butter paste inside coreflute on each side . A tracking card which has a wet ink middle part which the rats walk over. The tracking card folds in half preventing the ink from making a mess when handled .

Timing

• Rats We leave the baits out for one night
• Possums we leave the chew cards out for three nights.

Pictures of the operation

Tracking Tunnels

Tunnels are focused on rats and mustelids but in this case set only for rats

The tracking tunnels were built using coreflute donated to use from from ex national party campaign signs and by Anne Holt of wrightsons. A piece of rough sawn h4 100 x 25 x 550mm was used as a base.

The coreflute was cut 600mm long and 350mmand then wide bent 125mm x 100mm x 125mm to form the tunnel. It was painted brown or green to blend in.

Tracking cards are from gotcha traps were purchased and laid into the tunnels.

The cards have a blank at each end and an ink patch in the middle. Peanut butter was put on each end of the tunnel and in the middle.

They were left out overnight.

Other means unknown but is often a cockroach, gecko or insect of some type

Chew Cards

Chew cards are used for rats and possums.

The chew cards are small coreflute cards with green coloured peanut butter down onside. they are folded in half and nailed to a tree

from DOC DOCCM-2776583 Animal pests: Tier 1 possum monitoring trials fact sheet

From October 2015 on, the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) will monitor possum abundances using a chew card index (CCI) instead of trap catch index (TCI) as part of the DOC Tier 1 national biodiversity monitoring and reporting.

Extensive field trials determined Overall, non-calibrated wax tag index (WTI) and chew card index (CCI) estimated possum abundances similarly, but the TCI estimate was significantly lower. Consequently, calibration is required if possum abundance estimates made using one monitoring method are to be compared with those from another monitoring method.

CCI can be calibrated satisfactorily with TCI at multiple sample locations.

The chew cards are small coreflute cards with green coloured