New Paper Shows Invasive Species Removal is a Nature-Based Solution for Climate Resilience
Island Conservation and partners have published a new paper quantifying ecosystem resilience on restored islands!
Restoring islands for nature and people worldwide.
Published on
September 25, 2017
Written by
James Russell
Photo credit
James Russell
Rakiura/Stewart Island is the southernmost inhabited point of New Zealand. Here, islanders carve out an existence for themselves among the harsh but beautiful environment. I was visiting to understand how the community feels about proposals to eradicate introduced mammalian predators from the entirety of the island – Predator Free Rakiura. The eradication of pests such as these mammals can have as many social impacts as it does environmental impacts.
Invasive feral cats, rats and possums, and a handful of hedgehogs are the only mammalian predators on Rakiura. The absence of mustelids such as stoats is immediately recognizable through the abundance of Kākā, one of the large native parrots of New Zealand. One Kākā does the rounds of my hotel room each night arriving precisely at 5pm to demand tribute.
The eradication of the invasive mammalian predators from Rakiura is an ambitious proposal to allow the wholesale restoration of the island, protecting the species already on the island, and potentially allowing the reintroduction of others such as the Kākāpō, recently lost from Rakiura and now confined to the remote offshore output of Whenua Hou/Codfish Island. We have time to visit nearby Ulva Island and observe the abundance of birds present after the eradication of rats from the island.
My time on Rakiura does not seem long enough; the woes of Auckland’s traffic and airport are far away indeed from here as I sit in the hotel overlooking the waterfront. However, I am confident leaving the welcoming community to take forward the proposal of a Predator Free Rakiura and determining how this would work best for them.
Featured Photo: Kākā on Stewart Island. Credit: Rodney Farrant
This article was originally printed in National Geographic
Check out other journal entries we think you might be interested in.
Island Conservation and partners have published a new paper quantifying ecosystem resilience on restored islands!
Climate Week NYC: what is it and why is it important? Read on to find out why Island Conservation is attending this amazing event!
With sea levels on the rise, how are the coastlines of islands transforming? Read on to find out how dynamic islands really are!
Join us in celebrating the most amazing sights from around the world by checking out these fantastic conservation photos!
Rare will support the effort to restore island-ocean ecosystems by engaging the Coastal 500 network of local leaders in safeguarding biodiversity (Arlington, VA, USA) Today, international conservation organization Rare announced it has joined the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC), a global effort to…
Island Conservation accepts cryptocurrency donations. Make an impact using your digital wallet today!
For Immediate Release Conservation powerhouse BirdLife South Africa has joined the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) – a global initiative aiming to restore, rewild and protect islands, oceans and communities – to support its work to save internationally significant albatross populations…
Carolina Torres describes how the project to restore and rewild Floreana Island signals hope for a future where people and nature can thrive together in the Galápagos.
A new plan to restore seabird habitats in areas affected by the Deepwater Horizon disaster includes invasive species removal.
Para español, haga clic aquí. The Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) is thrilled to announce that the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), the leading research institution in the Galapagos Islands, has officially become a supporting partner. With a shared commitment to restoring…