The Trust supports the Ecological Vision put forward by Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust. This includes a goal to make Banks Peninsula Pest Free. In 2016 the NZ Government announced a target to make New Zealand Predator Free by 2050.  The Trust is supporting a wide collaboration of parties aiming to attract some of the government funding to Banks Peninsula as one of the initial trial areas for Predator Free initiative. Note that Predator Free is a subset of Pest Free, as the latter also includes creatures such as goats.

The Trust funded a summer scholarship to see what might be involved in achieving this for Banks Peninsula. Former Lincoln summer scholar Max Curnow presented his excellent research scoping out what might be involved in achieving Predator Free status for Banks Peninsula to a well-attended seminar held at Environment Canterbury where he now works. Max had developed four different scenarios using current trapping and poisoning methodologies for removing all possums, ferrets, stoats and rats and then maintaining zero levels, within the Peninsula area east of Gebbies Pass. The costs and effort involved are substantial (to put it mildly) and Max, supported by his supervisor Geoff Kerr, fielded numerous questions from an audience already well-engaged with this tough topic. The full report has been released by Lincoln University.

September 2023 – “Pest Patrol” video produced by Frank Film featuring our local Pest Free Banks Peninsula team!

May 2023 – Ongoing funding provided to Pest Free Banks Peninsula for feral pig control programme in the Kaituna area

December 2022 – Rod Donald Trust provided grant for feral pig control

April 2022 – Rod Donald Trust provided grant for feral pig control

August 2020 – A $5 million funding boost for large scale pest control on Banks Peninsula was announced by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. Click HERE for more details.