Enjoy the Bush, Protect our Birds

Join our volunteer predator control group, and help restore the Kaimai Mamaku.

What We Do

We maintain trap lines covering about 250 hectares of regenerating native bush surrounding the Pā Kererū loop walk at the end of Whakamārama Road, northwest of Tauranga.

Our traps, targeting possums, rats, mice, mustelids and other introduced species, are DOC approved instant kill devices that meet National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee standards. All our lures are non-toxic.

Formed in 2015, Friends of the Blade works with Whakamārama Community Inc., Bay Conservation Alliance and Manaaki Kaimai Mamaku Trust. We are supported by the Department of Conservation, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, BayTrust and TECT.

Find Out More

Our Work by the Numbers

53

active volunteers

1,000+

traps

7,345

predators removed in 2024 alone

3,000 +

volunteer hours a year

Get Involved

We welcome new volunteers and ensure they are supported by experienced members of the group. Training is provided to get familiar with traps, trap lines, and health and safety before going solo. You will be matched with a trap line that suits your fitness, and all materials are provided—just bring sturdy boots and a moderate level of fitness.

If trapping isn’t for you, there are other ways to help, including track clearing, data entry, social media, monitoring, or even organising morning teas. Every role supports our predator control efforts!

Stay Fit
Protect Our Birds
Enjoy the Bush
Make New Friends

Join Us

News & Events

What Plants Are Telling Us
And It’s Good News When we think about measuring the success of predator control, our minds often jump to native birds. After all, seeing or hearing more tūī, kererū, or toutouwai (Robin) feels like a clear sign that we’re makingContinue reading “What Plants Are Telling Us”
Whose Prints Are Those?
by Noelene Taylor When I saw unusual tracks in soft mud out west of our trapping zone, near Line 18, I hoped it might be a forest gecko. I looked up all the images I could find of gecko tracksContinue reading “Whose Prints Are Those?”
An Evening With a Trapping Guru
An enthusiastic crowd of trappers gathered at the Tauranga Yacht Club in the first week of October for a talk by predator control guru John Bissell of Backblocks Environmental Management, whose creative thinking and commitment to predator control never failsContinue reading “An Evening With a Trapping Guru”

To make a donation, please click the link below. You will be taken to our support partner, Bay Conservation Alliance’s website, from there, they will accept a donation on our behalf. All funds come directly to us!

Donate

You should receive a receipt immediately. If you have any questions about your donation, email admin@bayconservation.nz

Sponsors and Supporters

Friends of the Blade

We are an all-volunteer group formed to develop a pest free zone around the Pā Kererū walking track and the rest area known as The Blade, at the end of Whakamārama Road, 24km northwest of Tauranga..