Phase Two: Data Gathering/Stoat Project Launch

 

We are now moving into our second significant data recording phase based around our sound lure work.

We have started the process of collecting data on three seperate farms spread about South Taranaki.  At each of these locations we are running sound lures in conjunction with trail camers to monitor activity and at the same farm, in a distinctly different location we are placing trail cameras so that allows us a point of difference between the two sites to answer the question whether or not the sound lure are making a difference to encouraging the numbers of possums that are in the area.   

We are also very excited by the fact that we are also starting our stoat trial, using a version of the sound lure which is focussed on attracting mustlelids to speciifc traps.   This is being run for us by Feral Control Taranaki.   We have been fortunate to receive the support of Fonterra Kapuni, and Fonterra Group in general to allow this trial to go ahead.  It is being conducted in South Taranaki independant of our own data gather process to test the viability of the units in another setting and to apply the technology to animals that we have not been able to specifically target at great lengths as we focus on possums for the Curious Minds/Venture Taranaki data gathering.

We will be updating the data from both of these projects on this blog as it becomes available.

We are going to be conducting further testing on new versions of the base unit which are focussed on light (with rainbow LEDs) and movement - with a small motor both of which that will be activated by the base unit at the same time that the sound is activated.  We will be posting details of these developments shortly.

Sound Lures Around New Zealand: Thank You to Fonterra

 Last year in preparation for the 123 Tech Challenge that students from Auroa Primary School entered into, winning the Taranaki/Whanganui Competition (a Y7/8 competition when the team was made up of three Y6 students and one Y5 students!) the team went to Fonterra in Kapuni and made a presentation to the workers at the facility.

Fonterra gifted the students the funds to purchase ten units which were used for testing purposes and these ten units have formed the foundation of the stoat aspect of the project which is receiving national attention.

• Three of these units are in constant use at New Plymouth Airport, running testing on weather tightness, solar power and basic baiting.   These units have been deployed for just over a month and have resulted in the capture of a Stoat and numerous mice.
• One unit has been deployed to the McKenzine Country, the South Island in a trap line inside a DOC 250.
• Two units are currently enroute to the West Coast, to be deployed as part of a Stoat operation that is about to take place in Whataroa, South Island
• Two units are about to be given to the Department of Conservation for deployment as part of the efforts on the Mountain in Taranaki with the local stoat network.
• Two units are going to Lake Rotokare Trust to support thier local efforts to control Mustelids.

The students from Room One have been responsible for putting together the sound profile for these units, putting the units together and will soon begin to manufacture a new group of units.    We would again like to thank Fonterra for the support with this project. 

We would also like to once again acknowledge the invaluable support of Venture Taranaki, Curious Minds Taranaki and Andrew Hornblow from Opunake.

This is a creative, innovative project for our students to be involved in combining reseach, design, coding and allow them to apply these skills towards a local problem that will upskill them for the future.

Deployment to New Plymouth Airport

 As stated on this blog previously it has always been our intention to check and re-check this technology at a number of locations to ensure that the science behind it is relevant and valid and we are looking to use the technology in a variety of locations.

Our first significant deployment has now taken place at New Plymouth Airport where four of our full units have been deployed.   The Airport has an existing pest management program targetting rats and mustlelids.   There are additional animals in the area that are controlled by other means (brush tailed possums).

This location provides us with a variety of locations, which are essentially all in full sun locations.  A number of the locations have existing trapping units present (such as being shown in the top photograph, the existing trap is present with pink spray paint to identify it and one of the sound lures is immediately to its left.

The Airport has extensive grounds around the immediate area of the runway which includes a variety of land, grass and scrub.   There are considerable drainage ditches in the area in addition to this the Airport is located near to

coastal land.There are a variety of animals known to operate in the area and have already been caught as a result of the trapping process at this location.   It is intended to record these results to see if the sound lures can increase the catch.

Of note is the season that the lures are being deployed in, it is in Winter here in New Zealand and there is less expected mustlelid activity at present with renewed activity expected in the Spring.

We are intending to have these units deployed at this location, checked regularly thanks to staff at the Airport and will be tracking the results of this deployment.  All the units have been deployed in Rat boxes with solar panels in position of strong sun. 

We would as a project like to acknowledge the support of the staff at the New Plymouth Airport (espically Marty) and the support of Fonterra to provide the units for this exciting development.

Update: Within two days of this deployment of the four traps there were two activations.   One of the traps had been moved during darkness from its trap location, the second contained a Stoat.  This is a hugely potentially significant development as it shows that the mustelid profile has shown results within 48 hours.