About This Blog

This blog is designed to showcase the work that is associated with the 2019 (and onwards) Sound Lure Predator Project.  The project is designed to create electronic sound lures to be used to assist with the removal of predators from New Zealand.

November 2019: Possum inteacting with the lure, Taranaki

The idea for the Sound Lure is to create an audio lure that can be easily replicated that is also adaptable and cost effective in New Zealand conditions.    The basic idea is for the audio lure to be placed with or near to existing traps, that are commercially available or supplied to draw the target animals into the immediate area of the traps.   

For background on the pest problem created by introduced species we suggest that you visit the Department of Conservation (NZ) pest reference pages or Predator Free New Zealand pages.  There are a range of introduced species which have taken advantage of the New Zealand ecosystem to target and prey on native birds and species.

The origins of the project involve Auroa Primary School and the students present in 2017 when the school undertook a school wide science based project.   This evolved into a two year focus on the Whio, its importance in South Taranaki and the local area by one class of students including a Curious Minds Project in 2019 in combination with local Iwi and Manaia Primary School entitled 'Could a Whio Live Here?'.  The answer to this question was no based on two key factors one of which was the presence of predators in the area.

Above: Early version of the Picaxe version of the lure

At the same time a group of local farmers in the community started the process of creating a trapping corridor with the support of South Taranaki District Council.     This group based on the Upper Oeo Catchment area, a number of students from our school are/were involved directly in this project. 

As part of the predator project in the area the school began looking at ways that the students could contribute towards trapping or pest removal in a positive way.  In July of 2019 Tim, working for the Department of Conservsation at the timewho now works (2020) for Project Mounga, brought a possum lure prototype to Auroa School.    Having already identified the predators affecting the Whio the students/teacher started looking into the viability of creating a sound lure to target some of the predators.

As part of the 2019 Curious Minds project work an opporunity to connect with various experts was created in Septemebr 2019.   This allowed the teacher to connect with Andrew Hornblow from Opunake who is an electronics and engineering expert and inventor.    Significant progress was made on the unit deployment involving the use of a Picaxe circuit to run the lure, which brings it to its current form.

Above: A DOC200 Stoat trap deployed April 2020 with lure.

The administrator of this blog (the teacher involved in the project) is based in South Taranaki, New Zealand.    The project itself has been detailed in several forms to this point.   This information is available on request for interested parties.

This project is the collective work of a number of individuals and is not the work of one person.  If you want to contact the person responsible for the administration of this blog you can do so by emailing him at: myles.webb@gmail.com.   He will be able to put you in contact with people who are responsible for specific parts of the project or give you further information.   Please note this project is not a full time project it is very much a project of interest for those involved, the intention is to create and develop something viable that anyone can use.  If you feel that you are able to assist in anyway please contact us (through the email).

We would like to thank the support of the follow: 

• The students and parents of Auroa Primary School
• Andrew Hornblow, Opunake
• Project Mounga (Tim and Sean)
• South Taranaki District Council (Wayne, Jordan and Matt)
• Venture Taranaki 
• Upper Oeo Catchment Farmers Group
• Fonterra 
• Dr King, University of Waikato
•  and everyone else who has significantly contributed to the project.

Further updates 2021: The Curious Minds Project that was originally set to run in 2020 was extended by a further twelve months due to constant Covid-19 interruptions and lockdowns.     The project concluded in October 2021.   It is intended that funding and time permitting that aspects of the project will continue moving forward with a focus on differing aspects of the project.

As of November 2021 trials are being conducted by individuals with Massey University and Lincoln University.   There are further work being completed by Project Mounga (Taranaki) as well as localised testing and experiments (LED Lights and robotic motors) all of these details and information will be published when they are completed.

This project is be overseen by a school teacher and has used students to contribute to the testing and data gathering.   It is not a scientific project with a high level of funding - and the work on this project and the input reflects this.