Getting a game plan to tackle pests

A well-known nature champion hopes to get the general public, particularly children, excited about biosecurity.

Ruud Kleinpaste, known to many as ‘the Bugman’ is taking part in a series of public meetings around the country, organised by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI).

The idea is to include the public in the conversation about what should be included in MPI’s Biosecurity 2025 plan.

It’s a topic that’s close to Kleinpaste’s heart, having previously worked in various environmental jobs including quar- antine, and seeing firsthand the increasing pressures on New Zealand borders.

‘‘People have no idea that every month of the year a new weed species becomes established in New Zealand,’’ he said.

But he’s not looking to scare people, just educate them about how best to protect what’s still a relatively young country.

‘‘We have been gloriously isolated for 80 million years and if we fly a bit slower and introduce a bit less we’ll probably keep it a lot healthier’’

He says a two-prong approach is needed, to both keep out what has yet to arrive, while also working to control pests and plants that might already have snuck in.

That’s where he believes kids can play an important role, getting out into the wilderness to identify and trap unwanted pests.

Director of Biosecurity and Animal Welfare Julie Collins is coordinating the nationwide series in the hope of capitalising on a surge of public interest in regards to conservation efforts.

She wants it to tie in with the recently announced government plan to make New Zealand predator free by 2050 which has attracted a lot of attention.