Volunteering to helps protect Parihaka

Lewis Foulkes knows that predators damage our New Zealand bush and wildlife. Our city’s areas of bush can only benefit from becoming predator free! This is a goal that will allow our native bush, birds and insects a better chance to survive and thrive. 

Lewis has walked the tracks on Parihaka for some years and has thought that the birdlife and bird song seemed a bit sparse on the largely populated tracks.

“I overheard work colleagues talking about controlling predators on Parihaka, so I asked how I could get involved and I’ve been a volunteer trapper ever since!

“I enjoy hiking, so to me volunteering my time to help clear traps and re-bait traps is an easy way to make a contribution to our community’s goal and vision to become predator free. It’s very satisfying to know that I’m having a positive impact. I know that being involved in a group is crucial as we can achieve so much more than any individual can alone.

“I look after a line of 13 stations in the bush that covers Parihaka. At each station, there is typically a rat trap, a possum trap and a rat bait station and once a month we clear the traps of any predators that have been caught and re-bait the traps and bait stations. It takes approximately two hours and I always feel much better for having done it!”