This winter our all-female possum team have been hard at work killing possums in 593ha near Waikawau Bay.
Three locals; Leo Campbell, Lisa Kearney (both pictured above) and Elizabeth Mitchel have all been employed on the project, which has seen the demise of over 60 possums in the area.
Possums munch the best new growth on trees, and will return night after night to their favourite trees, eventually eating the tree to death. They also raid bird nests and eat berries and insects.
However pest control undertaken by Moehau Environment Group and others is making a difference. In the Northern Coromandel numbers of birds are increasing, and the volume of insects has increased, which means more food for birds. With fewer possums, new green shoots and leaves are appearing on our kamahi and kohekohe.