Extra

from Wairarapa Midweek Wed 24th August

Opinion

ARATOI What do you want to see?

Earlier this year we sent out a survey to visitors to Aratoi. I know, surveys are pretty dull, but it does let us know what you want to happen in your museum and things that you already love.

It also lets us know what you would like to change.

It is important for us to ask you because it is your museum. It represents you, the art, culture and history within the region.

One main point came across strongly; that you wanted more of our collection on show.

Aratoi has over 3000 collection items stored inhouse, ranging from sculptures to clothes, paintings and taxidermy.

Each year we get donations from the public and it is always a diffi cult task working out which ones to keep as each piece tells a story.

This piece will be shown in the foyer next, it’s an early Stephen Allwood. Painted using a palette knife, this colourful, cubist, abstract landscape includes a startled, galloping white horse.

Wairarapa resident Allwood created this fresh out of art school and enjoyed playing with the horse image and took his inspiration from artists Chagall and Pankhurst to create this abstract landscape painting.

Come and check it out next time you are in. What do you want to see next from our collection?

Stephen Allwood [b.1959], White Horse, 1978, oil on board, gift of the artist. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

CONSERVATION K˜ RERO

UCOL students learn possum trapping at Pukaha

George Hewitt

P˜kaha National Wildlife Centre

After being introduced to New Zealand in the 1830s for the fur trade, the brushtail possum is now one of the greatest threats to our natural environment. It is estimated there are 47 million possums throughout New Zealand capable of eating 14 tonnes of vegetation every night, which causes extensive damage to our ngahere. Possums often eat the tops out of trees which can kill the tree.

In 1993, possums were even fi lmed eating the eggs and chicks of kōkako which shows just how much of a threat they are to our native manu and wildlife.

UCOL’s Level 4 Conservation course found out just how much of a problem these predators are on a visit to Pūkaha and more importantly learnt how to deal with them too.

As part of the

UCOL Level 4 Conservation class learns about possum trapping at Pkaha National Wildlife Centre. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

conservation course, these students [ākonga] explore diff erent career pathways, that a qualifi cation in conservation could lead to, with possum trapping being one of them.

Sean and Toby two Pūkaha staff members gave the ākonga a lesson on possum trapping 101.

“Possums don’t generally like getting wet” said Sean and Toby to the class.

“But as you can see there is plenty of signs here even in a wetter climate like Pūkaha,” as Toby points to bite and scratch marks on a tree in the Pūkaha ngahere.

Toby has had plenty of experience working in commercial possum trapping in rural and isolated parts of New Zealand.

Possum trapping includes a range of traps, but only live capture cage traps can be used in the reserve due to the risk to non-target species such as kākā.

A chew card with aniseed is often placed above each set trap to attract the possum to the trap. Chew cards indicate the presence of possums from the bite marks on the card and are an eff ective way of monitoring possum numbers.

All set traps like these need to be checked at least once every 24 hours.

One of the students, Etienne Venter, said he “really enjoyed the physical side of restoration and conservation, I can’t get bored, and it puts a smile on my face”.

“I would love a job in conservation,” said Etienne

We are sure conservation and possum trapping, would love Etienne too.

With a possum population in the millions, it’s so important that we have keen and eager conservationists like Etienne and his course mates. • To fi nd out more about this conservation course at Pūkaha

National Wildlife

Centre visit www. ucol.ac.nz and look for Certifi cate 4 in

Conservation.