An $80,000 BMW written off by rats. A flooded house caused by chewed plumbing. Thousands of dollars in damaged wiring and security systems. For some Russell landowners, the benefits of predator control are measured not only in thriving kiwi populations but in avoided repair bills.

“People connect with different things,” says Predator Free Russell technical advisor Nik Minchin. “Some people care most about the environmental benefits. Others are more interested in protecting their property. You’ve got to understand what makes them tick.”

That understanding has helped Predator Free Russell gain critical support from about 98% of landowners across the Russell Peninsula, enabling 7,500 traps and 10,500 bait stations to be deployed.

“Without access, there’s very little you can do”

The community-led project is now on the verge of making Russell mainland New Zealand’s first pest-free town. In some areas, traps are already being removed because there are no pests left to catch, while monitoring shows only occasional incursions from rats arriving by boat or swimming across from nearby areas.

“Without access, there’s very little you can do,” says Minchin. “At any moment a landowner can say no. We’ve got about 1,000 landowners on the peninsula, and you’ve got to be flexible and work with what makes people comfortable.”

That flexibility might mean coordinating through property managers, adjusting access arrangements, or having landowners or on-site staff help check traps themselves. Thanks to those partnerships, the project has achieved around 1,000 hectares of rat-free habitat and 2,000 hectares free of possums.

Kiwi trail camera footage an eye opener for residents

Minchin knows the community well. He grew up on the peninsula and joined Russell Landcare Trust as a volunteer seven years ago before progressing to trapper, field team manager and, more recently, technical advisor.

While practical concerns resonate with some landowners, others are motivated by a different outcome: seeing kiwi return.

Long before Predator Free Russell launched in 2022, Russell Landcare volunteers were protecting kiwi through predator control and monitoring. In 2016, the peninsula’s kiwi population was estimated at only a few hundred birds. Last year, that estimate had grown to around 2,200 kiwi, increasing by close to 10% each year.

“People knowing the work is going to benefit kiwi usually seals the deal,” says Minchin.

Residents are increasingly seeing that success for themselves. One landowner contacted Minchin after spotting what she thought was a rabbit digging a hole in her garden. A trail camera revealed it was actually a kiwi nesting in a burrow. The footage captured the kiwi successfully raising a chick before it left the nest. Days later, the same camera recorded a roaming cat investigating the burrow.

“She was absolutely over the moon,” says Minchin. “Having a kiwi successfully rear a chick in her own backyard turned her into a supporter, but the cat was a bit of an eye-opener.”

Those moments have made trail cameras one of the project’s most effective engagement tools.

“We use trail cameras a lot because people are often surprised by what’s happening in their own backyard,” says Minchin. “Once they see kiwi using their property, they’re much more likely to think about things like controlling dogs or letting cats roam at night.”

Not every conversation centres on wildlife, however. Minchin often shares examples of the damage rats can cause.

One resident returned from an extended trip to discover rats had nested inside a covered BMW parked under a carport, writing off the vehicle. Others have faced repair bills of tens of thousands of dollars after rats chewed through plumbing, electrical wiring and security systems.

“I grew up with rats in the ceiling,” says Minchin. “We ended up rewiring our house three times over about 20 years.”

300,000 trap checks over the past five years

Operating on a budget of around $500,000 a year, the project combines professional trapping teams with a strong volunteer network. Together they have completed more than 300,000 trap and device checks over the past five years.

Having recently secured funding for the next three years, the team is continuing to push forward. Their goal is to reach 2,000 hectares of rat-free habitat by September next year and 3,000 hectares free of possums by 2031.

“We’re proving it can be done on a shoestring,” says Minchin. “People often think you need a multi-million-dollar project, but sometimes it’s just hard work and a lot of trap checks.”

For Minchin, the biggest lesson isn’t about traps or technology. It’s about how to get people involved.

Whether they’re motivated by kiwi, protecting their homes from rats, or creating a better future for the peninsula, Russell’s landowners have become the project’s greatest asset. And thanks to the gates they’ve opened, native wildlife is finding more room to thrive.

The project is part of the Predator Free Bay of Islands (Pēwhairangi Whānui) initiative which recently secured funding to help expand predator-free habitat across the region. Foundation North has committed $1.2 million over three years, while the Northland Regional Council will provide $1.8 million, and DOC $475,000 for the next 18 months.