Most of us like to get out into the bush and I am no exception.
As soon as I step onto a pathway under the trees, the world slows and quietens down. Instead of the noise of cars and lawn mowers, there’s the sound of birds and cicadas. Instead of focussing resolutely on the middle distance, my eyes move from side to side, up and down, zooming in to concentrate on movement close by, zooming out to catch sight of something moving high overhead.

Sometimes, however, my bush track is a little suburban, a little – well – pedestrian. Grateful as I am to the heroic Jim, and to all those others who have put so much hard work into making and maintaining tracks that are enjoyable without being too strenuous, it would be pleasant to occasionally go ‘off piste’. I’m sure others feel the same: wouldn’t it be wonderful to have your own personal bush walk, where hardly anyone else ever ventures? To have to concentrate on following a barely-made track, indicated by coloured ribbons, a slight thinning of vegetation and little else, apart from lots of birds, small animals and young trees and shrubs, regenerating as they are finally released from the depredations of various invasive animals.

Well, there is a way you could make a regular, if infrequent, commitment to enjoy this privilege:
You could volunteer to Predator Free Russell (PFR), offering to service an established track line.

Around the Russell Peninsula, the five full-time trappers employed by PFR have set up 5,510 traps and 9,266 bait stations, along 375 km of trap lines. By any stretch of the imagination, this is a lot to take care of. Fortunately, after the initial, intense push to remove targeted invasive predators, there is little re-infestation and the traps can sit waiting for weeks before anything is caught.

There are hotspots, such as Okiato, where the Veronica Channel is appealingly narrow for rats and stoats who are prepared to swim; they may also hitch a ride on vehicles which use the car ferry, for example under a tarp, but generally, it’s quite difficult for these mammals to get past the defences set up around our predator-free zones. However, it would be stupid to be complacent: the invaders are always testing our boundaries.

Thus a lot of the trappers’ time is spent walking those 375 km of tracks, checking tracks and bait stations for signs of re-infestation. This is in addition to making more tracks, maintaining existing ones, expanding the trapping area, and numerous other tasks.

PFR, as with most organisations trying to remedy some of the damage done to our beautiful and badly-treated planet, is always short of money, always looking for additional funds, always applying for grants and constantly competing with other, equally worthwhile outfits, all requiring money to stay afloat. Employing more staff is not an option and so PFR relies on volunteers to help it achieve its aims.

As numerous studies have shown, volunteering gives as many, if not more benefits to the volunteers as it does to the recipients, and in this case there is something very special on offer: the chance to walk through rarely-visited, beautiful, regenerating bush, while inspecting traps and bait stations.

The map below gives an idea of the extent of the enterprise.
Many of the tracks are loops, so that you can start and finish at the same place.

Some lines need to be serviced once a month, but many only require a three-monthly visit:
Not an onerous commitment, although you could go more often if you wanted to. Or, if you feel confident about it, take on additional trap lines to service.

PFR trappers will go with you on your first outing to make sure you understand what’s entailed. If you learn to identify birds and other animals you’re likely to encounter, or trees and other plants, you could add some interesting observations, as well as reporting any infestations of invasive plants.

Admittedly – occasionally – there will be the occasional dead rat to deal with, and you might need to replace a broken trap, so you would have to carry a small pack for that purpose.

You can experience all this wonder alone, or with a companion if you prefer, knowing you are helping to restore Aotearoa New Zealand’s diminished landscapes and endangered species.

Contact PFR via contact@russelllandcare.org.nz for more information.