Dunedin City is home to several incredibly diverse reserves - by becoming a parks and reserve trapper, you'll experience these precious areas first hand!
It will take a whole of community approach to achieve a predator free Dunedin. By providing communities with the training, technical support and tools to adopt a reserve, we aim to empower local residents to enhance predator control efforts across the city.
Activity location / workplace
Most of the traps will be located within the forested sections of the reserve where you are trapping. Some sections of the reserves are steep and can become slippery during wet weather. Traplines will not be serviced in high-winds or wet weather. You will be working by yourself most of the time, unless you would like to take a friend or trapping buddy along with you. Your trapping schedule will be coordinated with City Sanctuary staff.
Time Commitment
Trap checking frequency will vary throughout the year as predator numbers change with the season. Checks will most often be once a week/ fortnight. One trap line check will take approximately one – two hours depending on how many traps need to be cleared and re-set. Trap lines will be shared with a group of four volunteers to ensure all line checks can be covered throughout the year. As we are providing thorough training, ideally we ask that volunteers commit to one year of trapline servicing.
Activities
Animal pests (rodents, mustelids and possums) compete with native birds for food and raid their nests for chicks and eggs. They also feed on a wide range of native plants, lizards and invertebrates. Your local reserves need your help to prevent this threat. Once trained, you’ll adopt your own reserve patch, walking for approximately one or two hours through native bush, baiting and resetting traps and recording the catches you make.
Skills Required
Essential
- Positive and respectful attitude towards health and safety and ensuring animal welfare
- Experience or interest in doing predator control and working with modern trap technology
- Good communications skills
- Medium level of fitness (able to carry 5kg pack over 4 hours on uneven ground)
- Be comfortable volunteering alone in forested areas
- Comfortable handling pest animal carcasses
Desirable
- Background or interest in wildlife management, ecology or zoology
- Should live or work locally to the pest control area
Equipment / Training Provided
Training
- Behavioural traits of the target pest species
- How to look for signs of pests/ what to keep an eye out for
- How to identify the best location to place a trap (when no sign is obvious)
- How the relevant trap mechanism works
- How to use the trap (installing, baiting, luring etc.)
- How to check and empty a trap
- Disposing of catches (Burial/ Euthanasia)
- Identification of relevant site-specific and task specific hazards
- Identification of ways to manage hazards
- What to keep a record of
- How to upload your reports
- How to establish a trap line
We will provide all the support, resources and training you need to feel confident and comfortable doing a great job. You will need to make your own way to the office or locations where we are doing engagement work (but we will ride share when possible). We will keep a record of your volunteer contributions to ensure you can showcase your efforts on future job applications or your resumé!
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