Conservation Week at Ruapehu started with a “Get Involved with Whio” Open Day at the Ohakune Field Centre. What a great time we all had- there was face painting (I never knew Ranger Mel had this hidden talent!), and flax weaving, whio talks, Orautoha School were selling strawberries and daffodils, and whio rangers Bubs and Dean helped kids (and some big kids too!) make stoat trap boxes.
Talking whio with kids at Conservation Week
These trap boxes will add to the 600 or so we now have out on the river protecting whio in Tongariro Forest. We got 75 ducklings last season- triple the number we used to get before we started predator control! Looking forward to another whio breeding season, we’re expecting our first ducklings in late October. Bring them on! Hope all the other whio workers around the country have an awesome season, fingers crossed for no big floods aye.
One of our 36 pairs of whio protected by the trapping
it’s great to see people learning about our natives. pity i didn’t know about it or i probably would’ve gone along.