Kia ora!

This year, a major focus for Predator Free Dunedin is achieving the elimination of possums from the Otago Peninsula. We are using a variety of tools to track down and remove the last few possums, from specialised detection dogs to thermal drones!

Our City Sanctuary team are conducting intensive monitoring in the ‘coastal buffer’ to help stop and potential re-invading possums. Meanwhile, in the Halo Project area, the team are working on achieving ‘zero-density’ of possums.

Already, the results of this work have been audible. Consistently we are reminded of how this mahi is benefiting our local environment with reports of increases in bird-life including tūī, kererū, korimako, and tītipounamu.

Read on for team updates, upcoming events, how the Highlanders are helping us achieve possum elimination, and how YOU can help create a Predator Free Dunedin.

Rhys Millar
Project Lead, Predator Free Dunedin

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Winter Speaker Series

Save the date! Join Predator Free Dunedin for a winter speaker series at the Otago Museum, where panel discussions will delve into the forefront of conservation, exploring pivotal issues and research impacting our local environment.

• Wednesday 5 June, 5:30pm

• Wednesday 3 July, 5:30pm

• Wednesday 21 August, 5:30pm

We want you to shape the conversation! Our panel topics are handpicked by the community, ensuring that every session resonates with the issues closest to you. Whether you’re a seasoned conservationist, or just dipping your toes into the world of environmental stewardship, reply to this email and let us know what you’d like to hear about.

Annual Report 2023

It has now been five years since Predator Free Dunedin launched with its collective goal of leading our community to eliminate possums, rats, and mustelids from Dunedin’s urban and rural landscapes. Read our Annual Report for 2023, which celebrates the successes our community has seen, and sets out what has been happening across Ōtepoti to protect native biodiversity and strengthen communities.

Seen a possum on the Peninsula?

Now that possums are down to extremely low numbers on the outer Peninsula, we are using everything in our tool kit to track down and remove those last few! Now more than ever, community support is crucial to eliminating possums on the Peninsula. If you see a possum on the Peninsula, dead or alive, use our Report a Possum form to send a notification of its location directly to us.  

Highlanders tackle possums for conservation

We're excited to announce the Highlanders are joining City Sanctuary to help with possum control. This year, a key priority is to prevent possums re-invading the Otago Peninsula from coastal suburbs like St Kilda and St Clair.

We're stoked to have help from the Highlanders in defending the line against rogue roaming marsupials. The boys have been getting trained up on how to trap possums in urban areas and helping with monitoring efforts in the coastal suburbs.

You can also join the team by reporting any possums you see or hear any possums in St Kilda, St Clair, Musselburgh or Tainui.

Wild Dunedin

Join Predator Free Dunedin for a family-friendly interactive event to learn more about how weather and seasons affect predator species and native wildlife. We’ll follow the calendars of native birds, possums, rats and stoats to see how they behave across the year, what they eat, and how weather impacts them.

Pop into Chingford Park any time between 11am - 2pm to learn about the predator free movement and how you can get involved.

The ‘Halo Possum Effect’ continues to spread

The Halo Project are working in the 10,000 hectares surrounding Orokonui Ecosanctuary to get possums down to ‘zero-density’.

This means that the number of animals in the area are so low that they can’t reproduce, and is the next step towards becoming completely possum free!

Read on to hear more about their work in Aramoana, Karitāne, Long Beach and Warrington Spit.

Our impact

Together, our community is working to get rid of possums, rats and stoats from Dunedin’s urban and rural landscapes by 2050.

To date, our members and delivery partners have more than 15,000 devices on the ground and have caught over 110,000 possums, rats and mustelids!

Donate to help nature and communities thrive

When you support Predator Free Dunedin, you’re getting behind a movement to protect wildlife and strengthen communities. Your support allows us to get traps on the ground, empower communities to carry out predator control, and advocate for the protection of biodiversity in Dunedin.

You can make a difference right now.

• Donate. As a non-profit, we welcome donations. You can choose to make a one-off contribution or give a regular gift on our Givealittle page.

• Fundraise for us. Want to raise funds for Predator Free Dunedin? Whether you’re running a marathon, having a fundraising event, or asking for donations for your birthday. Fundraising for us on Givealittle is a creative way to give back while supporting our vision.

• Gift a trap. The perfect gift for those who want to give back. Donate a trap to Predator Free Dunedin on behalf of your loved ones. We’ll send them a beautifully designed e-card with a personalised message and information about how their trap is being used to protect native wildlife.