A Northland man has come up with an innovative use for the hundreds of possums he traps. Photo / Supplied
A Northland man has come up with an innovative use for the hundreds of possums he traps. Photo / Supplied
A conservationist keen to do his bit for the country’s Predator Free 2050 goal is urging gardeners to purchase dead possums from him instead of buying blood and bone for fertiliser this spring.
Wayne Parsonson lives beside the Maungataniwha Forest and is a member of its guardianship projectgroup Honeymoon Valley Landcare. However, he says the possum initiative is his independent venture, which he hopes will inspire others nationwide to follow suit.
“Predator Free 2050 funding possum control isn’t funded, so it’s my effort to find alternative funding for possum control and role-model income production in the hope of others being able to see themselves helping our forests as well.
Wayne Parsonson hopes his possum venture will inspire others nationwide to follow suit.
“It’s Conservation Hunting and I do it part-time trying to protect our ancient forest.
He pointed to an ancient taraire tree that was almost dead two years ago due to browsing by possums, but was now beginning to flourish thanks to regular trapping.
This ancient ancient taraire tree was almost dead two years ago due to browsing by possums, but is now beginning to flourish thanks to regular trapping.
It was little wonder the trees on the Maungataniwha Ranges were under pressure. Like forests elsewhere in New Zealand, they were battling to survive being foraged by huge numbers of a highly successful introduced pest.
Parsonson had caught 1250 possums in the past year.
The fur was plucked and sold to be blended with merino wool for warm, natural clothing.
The ungutted carcasses were rich with nutrients to enliven soil ecology, he said.
For fertilising purposes, he was offering 11 frozen possum carcasses for $35.
Sales were “ticking over” nicely, Parsonson said.
A recent social media post he made to advertise the availability of the dead possums for fertiliser drew much support from people applauding the initiative.
However, a few comments were a reminder that some New Zealanders were still “sleepwalking through life in Aotearoa without comprehension” of the damage predators were doing to our precious native ecosystems, Parsonson said.
He said anyone interested in supporting his fertiliser initiative could contact him via the Doubtless Bay Noticeboard page on Facebook,.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
