Working together to be predator-free
Impossible as its goals may seem, Towards PredatorFree Taranaki 2050 has the potential to change this province like nothing else in the last 100 years.
Maybe longer. And that is something we should be excited about.
The programme, which was launched in May 2018 and will cost $47 million in the first five years, will attempt to remove introduced predators and restore biodiversity in our parks, river banks and towns (pretty much everywhere).
It is much more than getting rid of rats, stoats and possums. It is about empowering a community to be better.
Getting individuals, schools and community groups involved has been key.
It gives everyone a chance to put a bit of skin in the game and be part of the solution to a problem we’ve always believed too big to undo.
But if you’re one of the thousands who has bought a $10 rat trap from the Taranaki Regional Council you’ve already demonstrated you no longer believe that to be the case.
You’ve demonstrated a belief that if everyone does their bit then anything is possible.
Quite apart from a steady increase in bird and plant life that we can expect to see, the programme will also bring about a deeper and more sophisticated appreciation of our environment by the people who live here.
Already those involved are reporting an increase in sightings of such things as kaka and gold stripe gecko.
Sure, at this stage, it’s probably a coincidence but it is an early victory to have people noticing their native flora and fauna like never before.
Sean Zieltjes, the Taranaki Mounga Project manager, is thrilled to see communities connecting through their work trapping pest animals as part of Toward Predator-Free Taranaki.
‘‘The passion that reducing pest numbers has created amongst youth, and the employment opportunities which are being taken up in the conservation and related fields, is amazing,’’ he said.
Schools are also reporting high levels of engagement among students involved in trapping.
It’s likely the project will build ever more momentum and ingrain itself in the culture of this province. That can only be good.
The Taranaki Regional Council has showed great leadership, vision and ambition in bringing this programme to Taranaki.
Already renowned for its council-run gardens, beautifully rugged coastline and prolific number of surf breaks, Taranaki will soon be known for its unrivalled bird life and vibrant forests.
It will be known for its passionately proud population and become a beacon for other areas wanting to make their communities healthier.
It is likely people will therefore find the area both a highly desirable place to visit and an equally desirable place to live.
No one can safely predict what is going to happen in the next 10, 20 or 50 years. Oil and gas look like they’re on shaky ground now and dairy is far from the economic steamroller it once was.
Both industries are also vulnerable to technological breakthroughs and changes in consumer preferences.
Which is why it’s fantastic that Towards Predator-Free Taranaki is getting up such an impressive head of steam.
In a handful of years it has the real potential to be a whole lot more than getting rid of pests.
It has the potential to be a big part of our future.
We should embrace it. It’s going to be an exhilarating ride.
The programme will also bring about a deeper and more sophisticated appreciation of our environment.