Competitions, trap libraries, and more!

We’re incredibly grateful to work alongside so many dedicated community volunteers who are helping make our environments safer places for nature to thrive. Tiakina Te Taitokerau simply wouldn’t exist without your commitment and hard work. Thank you for everything you do — it truly makes a difference.

New way to record your catches and track our collective progress

TrapNZ is a great tool for recording trap data, and if you’re already using it, please keep doing what you’ve always done. However, we understand that it can feel a bit overwhelming for some people. If that sounds like you, there’s now another option.

You can register your traps and log your catches directly through our website, tiakinatetaitokerau.nz.

You can also keep up to date with our collective trapping efforts via our website homepage, where we display the total number of pests trapped across our urban landscapes to date. These figures are updated monthly and reflect the ongoing commitment of our community to remove pest animals from Whangārei so that nature can return and thrive!

Make sure your mahi counts — register your traps and record your catches today.

Snap to it! Trapping competition – Whangārei only

Tiakina Whangārei is running a trapping competition to promote the option for registering traps and logging catches through our website.

Prizes will be awarded for the most rats trapped, the biggest rat, longest tail, and gnarliest rat. Registrations are open until 22 June, and we have a limited number of rat trapping kits available upon registration.

Preferred Project: Whangārei
I’m interested in: Backyard trapping
If other, please let us know: Trapping competition

It’s time to re-lure those traps and start catching – Snap to it!

Whangārei and Kerikeri trap libraries

As a programme, we recognise that long‑term pest control isn’t for everyone. Sometimes it’s a one‑off issue — a possum beating you to your fruit trees, or a stoat stalking your chicken coop.

With this in mind, Tiakina Whangārei and Tiakina Kerikeri each run a small trap library. Urban residents can borrow a trap for a couple of months, deal with the immediate problem, and then return it so it can be checked out by the next person.

This simple, practical solution helps remove the cost barrier associated with some of the more expensive traps, making pest control more accessible — especially for people who want temporary support without the commitment of purchasing or maintaining a trap long term.

The Whangārei trap library is based at the Northland Regional Council building, 36 Water Street. The Kerikeri trap library operates out of the Proctor Library, 6 Cobham Road, once a month on a Wednesday.

Northland Regional Council Moth Plant Competition

You may be aware that the Northland Regional Council, with support from Tiakina Te Taitokerau, is running a moth plant competition this year.

The competition is Northland‑wide and has attracted a lot of interest. At last count, competition participants had removed over 43,445 pods and vines so far — a huge effort, and a reminder of what can be achieved when communities come together for a common cause.

Registrations for the competition are open until 15 May, so there’s still plenty of time to get involved and potentially win some of the $1,000 prize pool available!

Find out more and register for the competition

Moth plant pods are worth one point each in the NRC moth plant competition.

Tiakina Kerikeri

Since launching in October last year, the first six months of Tiakina Kerikeri have been a busy and productive period. The project has already seen 90 traps placed in local residents’ backyards, with catch numbers steadily increasing — a strong indication that community involvement is growing and pest control activity is gaining momentum.

At this stage, Tiakina Kerikeri remains focused on awareness‑raising and participation. Rather than aiming for full coverage or saturation, current efforts are centred on building understanding and encouraging people to get involved. One of the project’s key successes has been the monthly trap library sessions. These give residents the opportunity to borrow traps, learn about local pest species, and understand the support available through the Tiakina Kerikeri project.

Emily at the Packhouse Markets – Kerikeri

Through these efforts, Tiakina Kerikeri identified its first Street Champion. Driven by enthusiasm and neighbour‑to‑neighbour conversations, this local leader has helped turn interest into action — coordinating the clearing of neighbourhood traps (sponsored by Tiakina Kerikeri) and recording catches along Peacock Gardens Road. Since the traps were first set on 13 April, 36 rats have been caught on this road alone, demonstrating the significant impact that coordinated, street‑level action can achieve in a short period of time.

Backyards along the street are now part of a shared kaupapa, contributing collectively to pest reduction. This approach shows how local leadership and collaboration can support wider project goals and provides a practical model for other areas as Tiakina Kerikeri continues to grow.

Becoming a Street Champion is a practical and enjoyable way to connect with your neighbours while helping nature thrive. Are you Tiakina Te Taitokerau’s next Street Champion? Register your interest and well be in touch.