November 2019

Peter Hale

We have recently lost a very respected and hard working member of Friends of Rotoiti.

Peter was a FOR Trustee and a member of the communications group. He was the co-ordinator for two trapping lines and contributed to funding applications and publications.

Peter’s scientific background and thirst for knowledge led to a wide range of reading and analysis. He then shared these well researched and justified findings with others in an accessible way.

Peter died after a short illness.

It has been our great pleasure to have Peter as a member of Friends of Rotoiti and we will miss him in many ways including his friendly support and mischievous sense of humour.

Mega Mast Year

We are seeing enormous numbers of mice and rats in our environment.

This situation appears to be widespread and will inevitably have a negative impact on our biodiversity.

Predator-killing aerial 1080 poison drops planned across the country will be shrunk by 100,000 hectares, and cost millions of dollars more, because of the severity of this year’s mega mast.

Lower than expected kill rates for rats, which have an abundance of food and aren’t roaming as far as usual, have forced the Department of Conservation to increase the intensity of 1080 operations to more effectively protect threatened native birds and other species.

The article in this link provides more information.