Craig Presland’s Post

The events of the last 2 months since Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle have left us in the Kaipara/Rodney region have seen the repair and restoration of our roading and power supply predominantly, while large-scale scars that have been left on our landscape in the form of landslips, fallen/damaged trees, and damaged buildings remain clear for all to see. While landowners have restored access and repaired damage to their properties as best they can, larger issues and questions remain: 1. To what extent will our local and central government fund the effects of climate change in future? 2. How frequent and severe will tropical cyclones become across the upper North Island in future? 3. Will NZ reach net zero emissions by 2050? The Forest Bridge Trust is all about land connectivity as we seek to enhance and protect a bridge of forest from the Kaipara Harbour in the west to the Pacific Coast in the east so that kiwi and other native birdlife and indigenous species can survive and flourish in safe habitats. While our core business is predator control (via trapping), fencing and planting, we are also committed to biodiversity and ecological harmony across the region. Our purpose and vision are inspirational, and we have made good progress since our inception in 2014, and especially over the past 2 and a half years since receiving Jobs For Nature funding. We are hopeful that our government funding will continue after the end of our funding period (30 June 2025) so that resources are in place to at least maintain the traps that we have put in place ie. check for catches, re-bait, and record data on-line. With a goal to reach 54,000 hectares under mustelid control (ferrets, stoats, weasels) across our region by 30 June 2025, and with over half of this target now having been met, the ecological cost to our region, and NZ as a country given similar projects to ours nationally, in not continuing with this funding will be huge. We need to be able to at least sustain our predator control initiatives over the long term. https://lnkd.in/gF4hiX-X

Our predator catch numbers in the Rodney/Kaipara region over the Oct-Dec 2022 quarter, highly impressive. By keeping this rate up in 2023, despite recent distractions caused by tropical cyclones, we will hit 10,000 for the year. TFBT and its trapping volunteers and landowners who agree to trap on their properties are creating safe habitats for our native wildlife (including kiwi) to survive and flourish, from the Kaipara Harbour in the west to the Pacific coast in the east.

We need to keep sediment out of our streams, rivers, estuaries and harbours as it is destroying our marine life. Kaipara Moana Remediation has done a great job over the past 2 years helping to protect the Kaipara Harbour with livestock fencing and riparian planting near rivers and waterways across what is a huge 6,000 square km catchment, however recent landslips and flooding haven't helped. We need more large-scale and inspirational projects like KMR across NZ.

Here's our team and board at The Forest Bridge Trust, all highly capable, hard working and committed to land conservation, land connectivity between people, nature, and the land itself across our region (Kaipara/Rodney), and protecting/enhancing our native and exotic forests as safe habitats for our wildlife. We are seeing kiwi thriving, the return of bell birds, kaka and tui to our forests and local backyards, and an ecosystem that is gradually being restored. We are dedicated in our respective roles, within our teams (predator control, community liaison, fencing and planting, data /ArcGIS mapping, volunteer co-ordination, finance, HR, admin and communications), while at the same time working in unison with our board as One Team. Very proud here! #conservation #biodiversity #predator control #fencing #planting

The Forest Bridge Trust's Impact Report for the 2021/22 year: the result of a team of dedicated, hard-working and talented individuals working as a strong team, all with a passion for predator control, land conservation and biodiversity. Very proud of this team and these results! https://lnkd.in/gn3uDHwF

We all have a role to play as citizens, landowners and kaitiakitanga of Aotearoa in removing predators (such as possums, stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats, mice and feral cats) so that our native birds and wildlife can return and thrive in our forests and across our rural landscape and urban backyards. Lets support the Predator Free 2050 movement! #conservation #predators #forests #backyards https://lnkd.in/drwSrZ57

Cats causing havoc with local birdlife at Snell's Beach #conservation #endangered species #cats https://lnkd.in/gJa6NpMZ

https://lnkd.in/gCT6QPBJ #kiwi #conservation #donate

https://lnkd.in/gx9iDsnd #ecology #biodiversity #conservation

With an estimated 2.5 million feral cats roaming around in the wild across NZ causing mass destruction (predation) of our native wildlife, we should be trapping and terminating them while micro-chipping all domestic (pet) cats so that they can be identified as non-feral if caught and then returned to their owners. # feral cats, predators, conservation