DOC has been working with pest control developer Connovation to develop and register a ready-made bait containing the toxin PAPP (para-aminopropiophenone), to which stoats are especially susceptible.

DOC Principal Science Advisor Elaine Murphy says the recent field trials were very successful. “Over the past three years, we’ve carried out two hand-laid trials and two aerial trials using PAPP sausage baits in the Borland valley in Fiordland National Park, which regularly has high stoat numbers but few rats.

“All the trials were very successful. Stoat detection was reduced by more than 95 per cent in the treatment areas following the hand-laid bait application, and no stoats were detected in the treatment areas after the two aerial trials.

“This is an amazing result considering we only used one bait per 4-8 ha in the hand-laid trials and one bait per hectare in the aerial trials.” Current stoat control methods are limited to labour-intensive trapping and aerial 1080 predator control operations that rely on stoats eating poisoned rodents.

DOC plans to apply to register the PAPP sausage bait for stoats with the EPA and MPI once research is complete later this year. Read more from DOC.

Old Hooker Valley bridge parts being offered for sale

Parts of the old suspension bridge up the Hooker Valley at Aoraki/Mount Cook are being offered for sale. The bridge, constructed in 2012, was closed in April 2025 because of riverbank erosion. A new 189m long bridge will take its place.

DOC Asset Delivery Manager Anthony Clegg says a range of metal and wood components from the old bridge will be available, including structural elements, cables, timber and fittings.

“The 90-metre-long bridge will be removed in sections, so we’re selling individual components rather than a complete bridge structure,” he says.

“We’d like to see as much of it as possible reused or repurposed rather than disposed of. The components are being removed through a deconstruction process, so some items may show wear or damage. All pieces will be offered on an ‘as-is’ basis. If someone has a use for these components, then make us an offer and let’s talk,” he says.

Bids on the bridge pieces will be done via an online bidding process. Bids can be placed with this form. The deadline is 1 p.m. on July 3, 2026. Read more from DOC.

Listeners invited to tune in to live kiwi calls from Northland forest

Looking for evening entertainment that doesn’t involve a screen? A new art-ecology project is offering listeners worldwide the chance to bring the nocturnal sounds of Northland’s outdoors into their homes, broadcasting the calls of kiwi live from a remote valley in the Bay of Islands (Te Pēwhairangi).

Ngā Manu Huna (The Hidden Birds) is a live audio artwork by multimedia artists and Massey University lecturers Jenny Gillam and Eugene Hansen, who hope to make it an annual event.

The initiative combines art, technology and conservation science to let the public hear, in real time, the calls of one of the world’s most distinctive and endangered birds.

Using portable satellite technology, the project streams audio from the forest floor to audiences in Aotearoa and overseas.

Ngā Manu Huna takes place from 6pm-8pm NZST during the autumn new moons on Sunday, May 17 and Monday, June 15, aligning with the Maramataka (Māori lunar calendar). Kiwi are most vocal during the first two hours of that darkness.

The art project also runs in tandem with the DOC’s annual kiwi call monitoring period. Read more from The NZ Herald.

Australia’s epic new hike connects two Northern Territory icons

Travellers to Australia’s red centre can now get closer to the country’s cultural heart with the opening of a new walk between the geological wonders of Kata Tjuta and Uluru for the first time.

The Tasmanian Walking Company’s five-day, 54-kilometre Uluru Kakararra Trail includes 38 kilometres of new track across rolling sand dunes on land belonging to the Anangu Traditional Owners that is jointly managed with Parks Australia. Hiking distances range between eight and 16 kilometres a day.

Tasmanian Walking Company’s co-owner, Brett Godfrey, started the journey in 2015 when he walked more than 150 kilometres with Traditional Owners from the South Australian border, ending in Uluru.

A decade and $25 million on, the trail and its low-impact structures, both developed in close partnership with Anangu, are bringing walkers to this unique part of the country.

However, spots are very limited, with just 16 guests allowed at a time on the fully guided luxury walk. Read more from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Blindfolded, dropped in the middle of nowhere: new adventure race coming to Canterbury

A new endurance event is coming to Christchurch this winter, challenging participants to think, navigate and work together in a format unlike anything seen before in New Zealand.

“Find Your Way Home” brings a fresh twist to endurance races with participants being blindfolded and put on a bus to a mystery location. From there, the challenge is simple: find your way back to the finish.

There is no marked course, no GPS, no phones, no watches and no outside assistance. Instead, teams must rely entirely on their own instincts and navigation skills to return.

Race Director John Moore says the event is designed to challenge participants in a completely different way. “This isn’t about how fast you can run,” Moore says. “It’s about how well you can think, how you make decisions under pressure, and how you work together as a team.”

The distance is approximately 21.1km as the crow flies, but every team will face different choices and potentially very different outcomes. Read more about the race at Sportzhub.

Community aims to raise $200,000 for Banks Peninsula recovery

February’s storms in Canterbury hit the Banks Peninsula region particularly hard, causing more than $500,000 worth of damage to popular walking and biking tracks.

In response, Kura Tāwhiti Canterbury Community Foundation and the Rod Donald Trust launched the February 2026 Storm Damage Repair Fund. 

The group hopes to raise $200,000 by June 30 to assist organisations leading repair and restoration efforts. Without additional funding, track reopening and ongoing recovery could be significantly delayed.

“Providing a donation is a great way for the public to help community groups to continue providing these low-cost recreation opportunities on the peninsula,” Rod Donald Trust manager Shelley Washington said.

The fund will be allocated to track repair, reinstating damaged trapping networks, weed control and strengthening the resilience of conservation efforts in the area. Read more from Wilderness.