Mangamuka Scenic Reserve Predator Control Programme
Kaitiakitanga
Whakapapa
"Our whenua, our responsibility"
Mangamuka Gorge Scenic Reserve - Predator Control Programme
Te Paatu Ki Kauhanga Trust Mangamuka Scenic Reserve Predator Control seeks to reduce the impacts of introduced predators to protect and restore the reserve's indigenous biodiversity, cultural values, and ecological health. The programme responds to the ongoing threat that predators such as possums, rats, stoats, cats, and feral pigs pose to native species and forest regeneration, while supporting Te Paatu's role as kaitiaki of this significant ngahere. By protecting taonga species and habitats, strengthening ecosystem resilience, and enabling future generations to benefit from the reserve's environmental and cultural values, the programme contributes to both conservation outcomes and the aspirations of mana whenua.
The Mangamuka Scenic Reserve Predator Control Programme focuses on reducing populations of key invasive species that threaten native biodiversity, especially birds, reptiles, and forest ecosystems. The programme targets possums, rats, stoats, feral cats, and mustelids across priority conservation areas. The core aim is to protect vulnerable native species, restore ecological balance, and support long‑term environmental resilience.
Control methods include ground‑based trapping networks, bait stations, periodic toxin application where appropriate, and monitoring using tracking tunnels, chew cards, and motion‑activated cameras. Community involvement is encouraged through volunteer trap lines, landowner partnerships, and training workshops.
Our contribution focuses on ensuring that predator control methods, monitoring practices, and environmental interventions are aligned with mātauranga Māori and respect the cultural significance of the Mangamuka landscape. We advocate for approaches that balance effective ecological management with the wellbeing of the whenua and its living taonga.
Kaitiaki Reflection
List of Services
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What values shape your approach in this mahi?List Item 1
“My love for the ngahere is what drives me. Through our pest eradication mahi, we’ve watched the forest come back to life, birds returning, insects reappearing, and the shrubs and trees regenerating. Seeing the ngahere breathe again, hearing its sounds return, and witnessing the ngahere rebuild itself reminds me why this work matters. That restoration, that visible revival of the Taiao, is what fuels my approach to this mahi”
- William Williams
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Why is expanding your ngahere knowledge important?List Item 3
“This mahi has strongly deepened my understanding of the ngahere. Every piece of knowledge we gain about the ngahere enhances the quality of the work we do. Growing that knowledge isn’t just for our own benefit aswell, it gives us the ability to pass on these teachings, skills, and this connection to the next generations. By learning more today, we have the mātauranga needed to care for it long into the future.”
- Elton Hohaia
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What motivates you to actively protect the Taiao?List Item 2
“Everything I do is for the wellbeing of the Taiao today, protecting it, nurturing it, and restoring its strength. The mahi we carry out now ensures that this whenua, these forests, and these waterways will continue to exist long into the future. It’s about safeguarding a living, breathing taonga so that our mokopuna, and the generations that follow them, inherit a Taiao that is thriving, resilient, and full of life. Thats my why.”
- Kevin Fletcher
Our involvement reinforces the principle that predator management is not solely a technical exercise but a cultural responsibility. By contributing our perspectives and supporting the programme’s objectives, we help protect the ecological integrity of Mangamuka Scenic Reserve and uphold our duty to protect the Taiao now and for future generations.
