Tracking and monitoring the South Titirangi area is an ongoing job. To understand what critters we have and over time, and with predator control, seeing a drop in the predators and an increase in native species.
Four times a year STNN lay 60 monitoring lines along six lines around the area doing exactly this. And the latest was in February 2022.
With peanut butter laden stations, which each have a tunnel, strips (with ink to mark the footprints), chew boards and flavoured wax blocks. All to record, over three nights, activity through the bush.
What comes out are a fascinating array of tracks and an a valuable insight into the ongoing activity through the area.
Here is a baited station (with peanut butter) and not yet 'found'.
And here is a final station that has been down for three nights and all of the footprints, that are then analysed and recorded.
All of the work STNN and neighbours do with trapping, catching and baiting around the area will see the decrease in the predators and over time an increase in the local creatures.
The graph at the top shows the overall count for the area with the highest number of tracks being stoats, hedgehogs and rats. Coming in close are the local geckos, which is lovely to see.