Dog detective unleashed in Wairarapa wetland to sniff out pest plants

Sniffer dog Bailey at Okorewa Lagoon, South Wairarapa, with handler Graeme Miller (right), and Kevin Stephens, of Greater Wellington Regional Council. Photo / Wairarapa Times-Age

New Zealand's leading dog detective was unleashed in Wairarapa's wetlands on Tuesday as part of the fight against invasive toxic weeds.

Bailey is part of the Department of Conservation's (DoC) conservation dogs programme.

The 7-year-old boxer x short-haired pincer, and her pal Wink, are trained by Graeme Miller, a 38-year DoC veteran and canine specialist based in Invercargill.

The age-old partnership of man and dog is augmented by high-speed technology.

Conservation programme dogs wear a special vest, hooked up to a global positioning system (GPS) satellite.

When they find invasive species, the location is recorded, and pest plants targeted for removal.

Miller brought Bailey to the south Wairarapa coastline to seek out pest cordgrass, or spartina anglica.

The aquatic plant thrives in waterway margins, growing up to 1m tall in brackish or freshwater.

Okorewa Lagoon, part of Lake Ōnoke and the Wairarapa Moana network, was a possible site for the spread of the pest.

Bailey, a sniffer dog and part of the Conservation Dogs Programme, at Okorewa Lagoon, South Wairarapa. Photo / Wairarapa Times-Age

Bailey and Miller are the sharp-end of a pest control plan developed by Greater Wellington Regional Council and DoC to fight invasive plant species.

Greater Wellington Regional Council's [GWRC] management plan for invasive plant species looks well ahead to the future. The project covers the next 20 years but is preparing for the next century.

Kevin Stephens, a GWRC biosecurity officer, said the anticipated warmer temperatures meant looking further afield for an idea of pests that may hit Wairarapa in the next few decades.

"Part of our plan is how other regional councils view it. For example, we know that our neighbours are working on it as well.

"It's a good neighbour policy. If one neighbour, like Horizons Regional Council is working on it, we're likely to work on it as well.

"We don't want it to spread, a long way, and you don't want to waste their time and effort.''

Bailey's whirlwind stop on the Wairarapa coast is part of a busy workload for her and Miller.

Wink is working on another site, and the duo would be in the Tākaka area next, where an advanced programme of eradication was enjoying success.

Bailey did not detect any spartina at the lagoon, but if you do find any invasive plants in Wairarapa, contact GWRC on 0800 496 734 or email pest.plants@gw.govt.nz.