Bike Methven is waging a productive war against unwanted sycamore trees, rats, stoats and possums in its Mt Hutt Bike Park, with the help of a $6000 grant from Council’s biodiversity fund.

The park is home to native kea, and club members are doing their best to get rid of predators and unwanted vegetation to help the bird survive.

Club president Stu Marr said they had bought five small rat/stoat traps and two state-of-the-art possum traps that are proving very effective.

“The two NZ Auto Traps we bought are working really well. We only installed them a week ago and one trap killed six possums in five days. The traps automatically reset, saving club members the job of having to go out and check them all the time, and the batteries last three months.

“The possum smells the cinnamon bait, pokes his head into the trap and is caught and mechanically killed. The body drops away and can be collected later.”

The traps are fixed part-way up trees.

Club members want to clear as many pests from the bike park area as possible to support the efforts of nearby Mt Hutt skifield, which has a conservation goal of making its environment safe and habitable for the cheeky but endangered kea.

Predators like possums, rats and stoats, can eat the birds’ eggs and limit food sources. Skifield staff have set up an extensive trapping programme and planted native Manuka and totara trees along the access road to create a more habitable environment for the native birds.

Mr Marr said Bike Methven wanted to show its support for the skifield by carrying out trapping in its bike park. “It also fits in with the great conservation and sustainability work being done by the bike park’s land-owner Sir Graeme Harrison.”

“The auto traps would be ideal for any group or farmer dealing with possums as they are not too labour-intensive. We’re grateful for the grant that allowed us to buy these and other traps that help creative a safer space for our kea.”

Members have also been removing sycamore trees, which slowly take over other trees and smother native plants.

The next round of biodiversity grant funding will open in February 2023. Keep an eye on Council’s grants pages for information.

Below: One of the possum traps that is having good success.