South Wairarapa Biodiversity Group (SWBG)

The community group SWBG has been going for more than 10 years now, with the main activity in recent times being planting natives on public land.  Planting is an annual event at Ōkorewa Lagoon near Lake Ferry.  Other Lake Ferry projects have included planting along the foreshore, and on SWDC greywater land on the plateau above the village.

SWBG also provides administrative support to Predator Free Martinborough (PFM).  PFM has a trap library and las loaned rat traps of various types to people living in Martinborough over the last few years.  These traps were supplied by DOC Masterton and the South Wairarapa Rotary Club.

PFM holds events from time to time where we can learn from experienced trappers.  We find out where they trap, what lures they use, and about their successes and failures.

This year with a Wellington Zoo Local Conservation Grant and support from Greater Wellington Regional Council, we are in a position to do more trapping of mustelids, especially stoats.  We will use these extra resources to set up trap lines in areas where very young Kārearea/NZ falcon have been seen recently, on the assumption that the falcon nest (called a “scrape”) is not far away.  Kārearea lay their eggs on the ground and so are very vulnerable to predation. 

Falcon have been seen recently catching starlings in Te Muna Valley, watching and following school children as they walked past the Martinborough Top Ten Holiday Park, speeding past at the Gliding Club at Papawai, and flushing small birds out of a tree near the intersection of Kahutara and Lake Ferry Roads.  They are likely to be Kārearea released as juveniles in Martinborough between 2014 and 2017, their mates or their offspring.

SWBG and PFM events are advertised on Facebook as well as by email.  If you would like to be on the email list, contact Jane Lenting at swbg@xtra.co.nz  Please also contact us if you would like to help with clearing trap lines, once they are established.  Due to the rough access, boots and some level of fitness will be needed for this.