The Arthur's Pass Wildlife Trust is always on the lookout for enthusiastic volunteers to assist in its conservation efforts in Arthur's Pass National Park.
Possible activities
- Maintain a trap-line. A predator control line needs to be checked at least 10 times a year.
- Help out with weed control (normally a Summer/Autumn job).
- Kiwi population census surveys held in mid-winter every two years.
- Bird count surveys held in late April each year.
- Help construct predator traps. This generally happens in the Spring, and is a one day activity.
- Help install new trap-lines. Help carry in new traps to their final positions on a trap-line. This is a physically demanding job, but if you're up for the challenge don't hesitate to get in touch, as more hands always make lighter work.
- Raise funds. The Trust is always looking to expand its trapping network, and make use of technology as it provides more effective tools to deal with predators. This all costs money. There are many ways this can be achieved, from the humble sausage sizzle, to approaching a large (or small) company and convincing them to donate funds towards our specific conservation objectives.
Things to consider
- Arthur's Pass is located 150km from the east coast, and 100km from the west. Travelling to Arthur's Pass to check a trap-line is a large commitment in itself, in terms of time and fuel costs. Many of our trap-lines are maintained by "teams" of volunteers, meaning the travel burden can be minimised on individuals.
- Handling of dead animals. The reality of trapping predators is it can have it's ugly days. Captured animals are not always fresh, and you must have the fortitude to still deal with their removal & disposal.
- The weather in Arthur's Pass National Park can be atrocious from time to time, and this combined with the terrain and rivers can be absolutely treacherous. Some outdoor skills (particularly Tramping), common sense, and a head for making good decisions can be essential.
- Our volunteer work mostly takes place on Public Conservation Land (PCL), to this end we must adhere to any rules/criteria set down by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Much of this is safety related, and obviously helps to keep our volunteers safe, and some is there specifically to help protect the environment from the activities that take place on it. The bottom line is we must adhere to all of this so the Trust can be trusted to operate on PCL.
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