VOLUNTEER RESOURCES
Trapline History
Our trapping network has grown from manual traplines to more than 100 AT220 AutoTraps across the project area.
Our Manual Traplines
Our network of manual traplines has steadily expanded over the years, starting with Line 1 before extending west and later east.
The traplines primarily use Victor rat traps in bird-proof boxes, Warrior tree-mounted possum traps, DOC 200 and 250 mustelid traps, along with a small number of Sentinel possum traps and Goodnature A12s and A24s.
See the timeline below for establishment dates for all 23 traplines.
Trapline Timeline
Lines 1-4: 11 September 2016
Lines 5-6: 23 September 2016
Line 7: 30 September 2016
Line 8: 4 November 2016
Line 9: 24 March 2017
Line 10: 8 December 2017
Line 11: 2 February 2018
Line 12: 11 February 2018
Line 13: 16 March 2018
Line 14: 18 May 2018
Line 15: 15 June 2018
Line 16: 6 July 2018
Lines 17-18: Aug-Sept 2018 (dates unclear)
Line 19: 19 October 2018
Line 20: 23 November 2018
Line 21: 7 December 2018
Line 22: 11 January 2019
Line 23: 1 February 2019
AT220 AutoTraps
In early 2022, we trialled nine AT220 AutoTraps in our trapping area, with great success. We then began fundraising to establish a perimeter of AutoTraps around our internal manual traplines.
Later that year, we also began deploying monitored live capture traps targeting feral cats.
With support from BOP Regional Council, TECT, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and BayTrust, we began expanding the AutoTrap network in September 2022. The southern boundary was completed first, followed by the perimeter in January 2024.
In May 2024, we began deploying AutoTraps east–west through the centre of our trapping area.
Whakamārama Forest Project is an all-volunteer predator control group helping protect native bush and wildlife in the Kaimai Mamaku.
