The Hiwinui School Enviro Crew has been actively monitoring pest animals in the area, with recent sightings of stoats and ferrets. They wanted to support predator management within Hiwinui School and its surroundings, so the team embarked on the ultimate mission to create a predator-free community.

The school engaged the local community for some expertise, who helped with the construction of wooden boxes to house D-rat and DOC 200 traps. As part of the process, students learnt about trap safety, baiting options and techniques, and how to lay the traps out for maximum effectiveness.

In September 2024, traps were carefully laid out across the school grounds and nearby walkways within the Hiwinui community. To ensure ongoing success, the Enviro Crew established a monitoring system where students regularly check, clear, and reset traps while collecting valuable data. This information is then uploaded to the Trap NZ database to track their progress.

Results have been promising with a total of 21 pests been removed from the community since they started. Students understand that achieving their vison will take time, dedication and collective community effort but they are on the right track.

You can check out their project at https://trap.nz/project/26550353/info