Māia’s 2 Million – Episode Eight
I learnt two important lessons this month, the first was to carry more water instead of trying to lighten my pack and the second was to make sure you cover the bait in live cage traps so you don’t catch feisty kahu in them! The Community Trapping team spent some time in the Eltham forest setting live cage traps for the 800 Trust and laying a new trap line in the ngahere. It was a great couple of days learning how to place and set live cages for ultimate results, and some lucky kahu definitely got a good kai out of it. I am not so sure it was thrilled with be captured mind you, it was pleased to fly off when we released it.
We are in the midst of deploying acoustic recorders all over the region, monitoring for Kiwi presence on the Mounga at sites that have not been surveyed before and collating data on the kiwi populations on Community Trapping Project sites… My first day this season was spent putting recorders out on our Maunga, was a beautiful shining day and as my mahi was only halfway finished along the Holly hut track…….I ran out of water. I was lucky enough to bump into some awesome people building and repairing the steps and boardwalks on the track who fortunately had some spare water for me! I have since doubled the amount of water in my pack for big hiking days like that.
A whole bunch of PFNZ apprentices have started working on the Level 3 Pest Management qualification at WITT, I am really enjoying the learning with the other rangatahi.
I am smashing my steps now and am at a healthy count of 1,230,005, I clocked up over 20,00 putting those recorders out on the Mounga! I am likely to well pass my 2 million goal before the end date of October 4th, I may have to set myself another goal 😉. You can make a donation to Māia’s 2 millions step campaign at our Givealittle page https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/taranakikiwi
