Volunteer Stoat Trapping Project for Upper Wilkin
As many of you know, the Aspiring Guides' Wild Walks trekking program spends a lot of its time in the isolated Upper Wilkin region of the Mt Aspiring National Park. We have been concerned for some time that this area has not been previously trapped for stoats, making life for the native birdlife pretty tough. Working together with our local Wanaka office of the Department of Conservation we have been able to put in a line of 20 stoat traps just before Christmas 2012.
It's been an interesting project and we've been getting pretty solid results - lots of squashed stoats!! Here's hoping that we even out the playing field for the endangered alpine bird life in the Upper Wilkin.
It's a volunteer project and we have been kindly supported by Wilkin River Jets and Backcountry Helicopters who helped us to heli-lift in the trap lines and with jetboat access. We've also been thrilled with the volunteers who have been assisting our guides with checking and clearing the traps. Our latest volunteers, Em & Alison from Wanaka were surprised at how much fun they had! Check out their photos.
All dressed up with a stoat's favourite food - egg!
Got one!!
