By Annie Hill
The original article in Russell Lights | Ngā Mārama o Kororāreka May 2025 edition

There was a good turnout of trustees, staff, members and volunteers. The meeting was opened by the Chair, Vicky Froude, with a karakia from David McKenzie.

In the financial report, Fletcher Sunde (GM during 2024) told us that donations had quadrupled since 2023, helped by one very generous five-figure amount. Although the bulk of RLT’s money comes from local/central government and grants, little of this is guaranteed from year to year, and RLT will always rely on donations from private sources. Fletcher reported that they presently had almost $490,000 in the bank, already allocated for specific purposes.

In the Chair’s report, Vicky said that she’d taken over the role in the fourth quarter, after Margaret Pasco resigned. She commented that while Predator Free Russell is a major activity, there’s a lot of work restoring habitat. There’s no point in clearing predators if native animals can’t flourish due to lack of diversity in flora. To this end, there is:

• planting in Pipiroa wetlands and the adjoining flats (in association with Living Waters BOI)

• work at Oneroa Long Beach dunes (with NRC’s Coast Care)

• pest plant control in the Pipiroa and Te Wahapu catchments (with Living Waters BOI)

Habitat restoration will include water habitats, helping marginal species to recover.

The operations team, led by Nik Minchin and Todd Warrander, are working with many landowners, while both developing a more professional style and a public profile, including on social media. They’ve expanded field operations into Tapeka, Russell Township and recently, the Tikitikioure-Orongo area, and the field team now includes a woman trapper.

Public buy-in for the Predator Free project and for the Trust in general has been hugely positive, leading to the development of an active volunteer community, managed by community coordinator, Kerry Mulligan. Volunteers are involved in:

• fabricating traps

• making the depot a functional workspace

• creating a new native plant nursery (a major undertaking)

• weeding, planting and servicing traplines

Plans for 2025 include:

• diversifying funding sources

• finalising operational and habitat restoration strategies

• improving governance

• expanding predator work

• developing the plant nursery

Vicky thanked the previous chair Margaret Pasco, the previous GM Fletcher, new GM Ella van Gool, Wilhelmina Latuperissa (resigning as Treasurer), all the enthusiastic volunteers, the wider community for its support, and our funders, in particular NRC, for their ongoing commitment.

It was asked if the nursery would be available for locals, but Vicky replied that as yet there was no decision. Nik mentioned that space may be a limiting factor.

Another question was what is the difference between Project Manager and General Manager? The PM is only for Predator Free, whereas the GM covers the wider organisational needs, including helping the Chair with her workload.

Nik Minchin gave his report on Predator Free Russell for 2024, with:

• 920 property access agreements

• Over 68,000 bait station and trap checks

• 2,099 predators caught from 5,500 traps and 10,000 bait stations

The team finds urban elimination more challenging than in bush areas, with rats able to have much smaller territories because of access to food and shelter—sometimes confined between the 20m trap spacing. The Tapeka elimination zone has recently seen few catches, but March and April saw an increase in rat movements, which probably explains why six were caught just last month.

Investing in tree devices for ship rats, and detection dogs, has proven very worthwhile. The dogs came to Russell in April and discovered rats’ nests and runs, enabling more precise trap placement. They also showed that Matauwhi Bay shoreline provides a food resource for rats living in the bush above the bay, which come down a drain to feed. This is further evidence of how important coastal traplines are: when overall catch numbers are low, 95% will be on the coast.

The most difficult area to keep predator free is the coastal border of the Veronica Channel at Okiato. At its narrowest, the channel is only 300m wide—no problem for a rat. Twelve were caught there this year. As long as there are rats on the Opua side, Okiato will be a re-invasion area.

One interesting innovation is that PFR now has access to DNA testing. A PhD student at Otago University (which is funding the project) will sample the tail of each rat caught to determine its origin—e.g. Opua, Te Haumi, Paihia. Once established, this data may show if rats are arriving via boats or cars on the ferry.

Looking ahead, the team is tackling the Tikitikioure area between the town and the Old Russell Sanctuary. Many rats have been caught along the Orongo Bay shore, but the population seems to be decreasing.

A drone with infra-red used to detect possum numbers also spotted about 100 goats. While their tracks improve access for the trapping team, they’re damaging flora and will need to be culled.

The aim of all this trapping is to bring back native wildlife. It was hoped that Pōpokotea Whitehead could be introduced to the eco-sanctuary, but the area is too small, and pet cats are an issue elsewhere on Te Wahapu. This is further incentive to expand PFR’s work, with the ultimate aim: reintroducing Kōkako.

There was discussion about the proposed 250-berth marina at Waipiro Bay. Only hapū can submit and are limited to objecting on the grounds the proposal doesn’t qualify for fast-tracking, though they can attach additional concerns. Vicky Froude can provide a submission template – contact her at victoriafroude@gmail.com.

Lindsay Alexander gave a lively and fascinating account about moths in Russell and Opua Forest. He’s photographed and identified 324 species, of which 64% are endemic, 11% native, and 25% invasive. He is the first in NZ to identify the presence of the tropical Rhesalides curvata, and has extended the known range of several species—proving the power of citizen science.

Sam Johnson, Predator Free Manager at NRC, congratulated RLT on its work. He warned that Government funding is reducing, so the challenge will be to use funds strategically. Predator Free 2050’s strategy discussion documents can be found here: https://shorturl.at/IFGWQ. Submissions close on 30 June.

Winiwini Kingi is the new Kairaranga (weaver) for the four Predator Free projects in the north: Russell Peninsula, Rakaumangamanga, Purerua, and Whangarei Heads. He explained that his role is to introduce knowledge of Māori tikanga, marae protocols and kaupapa Māori, which will help build connections and enhance Predator Free projects with mātauranga Māori.

Matua Winiwini gave a closing karakia, after which the audience went upstairs to warm up and enjoy a lavish afternoon tea.