SCOTT DONALDSON
Conservationist and author Sam ‘the Trap Man’ Gibson captivated 70 people with fun stories from his journeys into the bush to inspire Tapawera restoration efforts recently.
Members of the Shedwood Bush Betterers group and Tapawera community attended the event at the Shedwood Hall on Sunday 9 August.
“The energy in the room demonstrated the level of interest and motivation for trapping and predator control and looking after our native species and forest,” says Mark Soper, Community Connector, Tapawera Connect.
“It was hoped that the event would increase volunteer numbers for the Shedwood Bush Betterers.”
The scenic Shedwood Bush is home to some huge original beech trees at the top, along with growing bird life, after it had its track cut in the 1960s by NZ Forest Service cadets.
It is now the site of community-based restoration efforts, tackling weeds, planting natives, and trapping animal pests and predators in collaboration with the Motueka Catchment Collective (MCC), Tapawera Connect, Fish & Game New Zealand, and Tasman Bay Guardians.
Sam shared inspirational stories, including some from his new book A Bushman's Book of Yarns, about trips with his mentor Keith "with no teeth", who taught him that the bush heals and provides for you, and in turn you heal the bush.
One traditional Māori story Sam shared looked at how kōkako are shy and hang back in the forest, making them one of the first birds predators go for.
“This makes them a strong indicator species,” Sam explains.
“If kōkako numbers are climbing in an area, it's a good sign predator control is really working, to help the birds and other native species thrive.”
Using indicator species is an approach Sam's involved with in a Gisborne project, the Eastern Whio Link, rather than reporting numbers of catches in traps.
He also talked through how he builds community involvement on the Eastern Whio Network — including separate groups so different people can connect with the bush and the mahi, to earn their gear as they put in the trapping hours.
“It's grown from 250 traps and four breeding pairs of whio in 2020 to 1,250 traps across 30,000 hectares this year, fledging 146 chicks and now recognised by DOC as a whio recovery site,” Sam says.
Young local trapper Taane Mills also featured — he's been involved in the Otuwhero blue duck project and school trapping programmes at Riwaka and is a strong voice on getting young people into trapping and making the case for tackling cats as a predator.
Jacob Lucas (MCC Pest Management Group / Fish & Game NZ) closed out the formal session with a trapping project update and trail cam footage from Shedwood Bush — including "Old Scratchy," a flea-ridden pig caught on camera time having a good scratch.
The event was made possible with funding and support from Tapawera Connect and Motueka Catchment Collective.
Tapawera Connect is hoping to follow up the event by sponsoring a youth trapping introduction day at Shedwood Bush, engage with a local hunting group to help add Shedwood pork to the Tapawera Pataka kai (food bank) menu and work closely with Tapawera and Districts Community Council (TDCC) on improving access and recreational facilities on road reserve land leading into Shedwood Bush.
