Worsley Stoat Programme

The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation (FWF) stoat programme is a joint community project with The Department of Conservation. This project utilises wapiti foundation members and other interested volunteers/organisations in an attempt to improve the valley habitat for the (Whio) Blue Duck and other bird life through regular stoat trapping.

Some of the programmes facts are listed below (to 15th March 2009)

• Started in August 2005
• Part of DOC’s Operation Ark - which incorporates 65,000ha of F.N.P
• 31km of track now has traps laid out in the Worsley catchment.
• 189 traps are in use and regularly monitored
• 205,670 trap nights in area
• 216 days in the field spent by volunteers
• 48 volunteers involved.
• Total of approximately 300 stoats and rats caught to date

From August 2008 - February  2009

• 34 persons involved with the programme
• 46 field days spent in the Valley. 552 hrs in field. Replacement of old with new traps continuing with over 4/5th of all traps replaced. More traps included to improve the probability of pest capture.
• GPS improvements, marking, recording, trap locations to aid travel time
• Approximately $6,000 spent on a 2 day track clearing/maintenance work at the end of January with - 11 volunteers, 2 helicopter trips, 2 boats involved.

Sponsorship continuing through the following groups.

• Les Hutchins Conservation Foundation (principle sponsor)
• Southern Lakes Helicopters
• Smeaton Construction
• Placemakers Te Anau
• Fish and Game
• Department of Conservation

Whio Recovery Plan 2007 - 2017 (fifty pair target)

• 2004 - 10 counted
• 2005 - only 4 counted (stoat trapping began)
• 2006 - 12 birds - in that time we caught and removed 46 stoats/16 rats
• 7 pair Whio in Sept 2007 and May 2008
• 2008 Dec - One pair of blue ducks located with 4 fledglings in the Castle Valley.

Summary
The FWF would like to thank all the volunteers and sponsors involved in this project. A lot of time and resources have been utilised to make this project successful. And as it is run by volunteers for the betterment of the area, we appreciate the patience of those participants whose plans have been postponed due to weather/river conditions in the valleys.

With the official DOC Whio bird counts in the area showing and general increase in blue duck numbers, it is pleasing to think that the FWF and all its supporters are making a difference in the Worsley Valley.

If you are interested in being involved with this program please refer to the contacts page.