Pest advice in your pocket
Otatara School students Emma Rudel (left) and Ocean Healey, both aged 10, investigate pests out in the bush using the Pest Hub.
“We were a bit shocked about how many pest plants there are in just a small section of the reserve. Students were able to use the Southland Pest Hub to learn more about weeds, and have also discovered blackberry and sycamore, which are on our radar for the future,” said Tracey.
Environment Southland launched the Southland Pest Hub as a tool to provide online advice on around 140 species that are, or have the potential to become a problem for Southland.
The Pest Hub is an important link between Southlanders and the council’s biosecurity team, says biosecurity and biodiversity manager Ali Meade.
“Environment Southland oversees pest management in Southland. And while we can’t do all the work ourselves, we can help people with the right tools and knowledge. This is what the Pest Hub is all about.”
The award-winning system was adapted from Northland Regional Council, and allows you to learn about pests, why they’re causing a problem, and how to deal with them according to the local council rules.
You can report locations of pests by dropping a pin on a map, and request more information. Enquiries made through the Pest Hub will go directly to one of the council’s biosecurity team to follow up.
Another benefit of the Pest Hub is that information is accessible on all devices, and it’s regularly updated. People can quickly filter through different types of pests either by where they’re found, or what type they are.
Check out the Pest Hub at www.pesthub.es.govt.nz
