WHAT DOES YOUR ORGANISATION DO?
Open VUE (Valley Urban Ecosanctuary) is working towards turning Northeast Valley, Dunedin, into an open (unfenced) urban eco-sanctuary, through ecological restoration and community-led predator control.
Currently we run an education programme in schools, teaching children and their families about the wildlife and the exotic predators that visit their gardens. We have run workshops on trapping, bird feeders and ``poo bombs''.
We hope to be able to engage with households to see how comfortable people are with the idea of backyard predator control and initiate predator mapping using the best available detection tools.
HOW DOES THIS HELP?
Northeast Valley's location means it is a green pathway between the Orokonui Ecosanctuary and Dunedin city, and lies within in the Orokonui halo. Predator-Free Dunedin has identified NEV as part of its urban linkage programme.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED NEXT?
We are running workshops on building skink habitats and insect pit-fall traps, and plan to do another trapbox workshop.
At the end of November we have the education programme's results sharing hui, presented by the children involved in the education programme.
CAN OTHERS GET INVOLVED?
Yes, we definitely need more people involved! This has to become a community effort.
Contact: openvue@northeastvalley.org
facebook.com/groups/OpenVUE/
