Rat trapping 101 proves a hit for Mangawhai Nature School

17 Jan, 2022

Community group Waipu Kiwis has recently partnered with Waipu About Tern Trust to develop resources for classroom learning in school or outdoors. The importance of raising awareness and involving young people in conservation-focused activities in the area is crucial say organisers.

An opportunity to test these resources came about shortly after the recent Covid lockdown in November when Susan Steedman (Waipu About Tern Trust) worked with a group of 25 young people at the Mangawhai Nature School on an introduction to rat trapping.

“Their enthusiasm and passion for the natural world is encouraging and the look of sheer delight on the faces of young students reveals their newly acquired prowess for rat trapping,” says Steedman.

Students were shown how to gear up with gloves, set up the rat trap boxes, make lures and lay out a trapping line through the bush, along with building their own monitoring tunnels. They also continue to monitor and record their catches and are learning new skills such as graphing and report writing.

“Students were totally engaged in their rat trapping 101 learning and the bush backdrop to the school provides a wonderful setting for conservation activities,” says Steedman.

The rat trapping activity was led by Steedman, in conjunction with Piroa-Brynderwyn Landcare and Waipu Kiwis co-ordinator Graeme Giles, with the trap boxes made by the Waipu MenzShed.

Susan Steedman and students get up close and personal with rats! PHOTO/Facebook