Persistent vandalism of predator traps run by the Hanmer Springs Trapping Group volunteers is undermining the  work being done to restore native birdlife to the community.

The vandalism is “incredibly frustrating” says Hanmer Springs School literacy specialist teacher Melanie Roborgh, who monitors one of the traplines in the Queen Mary Hospital grounds with her daughter Bridie, aged 10, particularly because they know the damage predators cause to  birdlife.

Melanie and Bridie became involved in the trapping programme by way of the Karearea/Kererū Challenge, which is a programme run by the Hanmer Springs School designed to get pupils from year five to year eight active and engaged in their community.

“One of the components (in the challenge) is community service, which Bridie does. She is in year six and needs to complete three hours of community service. We took on a trapline for this, and we do it together,’’ Melanie says.

The traps they monitor are only about five-minutes walk from the main Hanmer Springs village. They catch a mix of rats, hedgehogs and mice in their trapline, and Melanie says there has been a noticeable increase in birdlife in the community since the trapping programme began.

``We will often see tūi, korimako (bellbird) and kererū (wood pigeon) in and around homes in the village. On our trapline we will usually see piwakawaka (fantail) and hear korimako calling. Other trappers have seen bush robins (toutouwai) on their lines."

But, earlier this year, when Melanie and Bridie set out after school to check their traps it was “incredibly disappointing" to find all of them had been intentionally damaged, rendered ineffective or thrown into a nearby stream.

“We have had lots of interference. Usually people just kick them to set the trap off and we have had traps pushed down banks that we have had to rescue," Melanie says.

"A few of the other trappers have also had interference with their traps.

"This is the worst we have experienced and it felt quite invasive. We were really disappointed and cross about it."

Melanie is calling on the community to support the trapping programme, which is helping to bring native birdsong back to Hanmer Springs and also preventing rodents from spreading into the nearby township.

“If you see anything happening to the traps, please let someone know, report it to police on 105 or someone from the trapping group so we can check the damage when it is safe and reset traps."

To the vandals doing the damage she has some simple advice.

"Don't do this. Get out into our forest and experience the opportunity to see and hear the birds in the forest. It is pretty special and that is the purpose of the trapping group."