Say hello
Flick us a message or come to an Engagement Day. We'll match you with a trap that suits your section and the predators in your area.
Nelson · Whakatū · Aotearoa
Trapping rats to bring back the tūī, one backyard at a time.
We're a neighbourhood group of ordinary trappers across Nelson. Every rat, mouse and possum we remove gives native birds, lizards and insects a fighting chance — and brings their song back to our streets.
Live from Trap.nz
Our impact, updated in real time.
Every catch logged by our trappers feeds straight into Trap.nz project #28866543. These figures are pulled live — switch the window to see how we're tracking over the last month, year, and all time.
0
predators removed all time
— that's about 2.5 a week, every week.
🐀 Rats77
58% of catches
🐁 Mice45
34% of catches
🦔 Other predators10
8% of catches
Our trapping network
84Traps
4Bait stations
63Monitoring
Why it matters
A single rat can destroy a whole clutch of eggs in a night. Removing
132
predators keeps an estimated ~1,300
native eggs, chicks and invertebrates safe each breeding season.
Estimate only — based on average predation rates from Predator Free NZ.
Where we trap
Our patch of Whakatū.
From Mount Street through to Waimea Road and beyond — here's the catchment our trappers cover. The live device map lives on Trap.nz.
How to get involved
Three steps to a quieter, wilder backyard.
You don't need experience — just a backyard and ten minutes a week. We'll lend you a trap, show you the ropes, and add you to the map.
Set & bait
We'll help you place your trap in the right spot and bait it safely — away from pets and kids. It takes about fifteen minutes.
Log every catch
Check weekly, re-bait, and log your catches on Trap.nz. Each entry feeds the live count above and helps the whole neighbourhood see our progress.
Anyone can help
Renters, homeowners, schools and businesses — all welcome.
Traps provided
Borrow a humane, tested trap from our shared kit.
Pet & child safe
We only use approved, enclosed traps and safe baits.
Local & connected
Join a street network linked to Nelson's wider Halo.
Events
Come and meet the neighbours.
Engagement Days are relaxed, hands-on, and a great way to start — bring the kids, grab a trap, and have a yarn over a cuppa.
21Jun2026
Upcoming · Sunday
Engagement Day — Waimea Road
Waimea Road, Nelson · Sunday 21 June
[Placeholder] Our next Engagement Day rolls down to the Waimea Road end of the catchment. Pop by to pick up a trap, learn how to set and log it, and meet the team. We'll have maps of the area, a few traps to take home, and plenty of advice for getting started. Exact time and meeting spot to be confirmed — keep an eye here and on our community channels.
Photo
—RecentMt St
Previous event
Engagement Day — Mount Street
Mount Street, Nelson
[Placeholder] Our Mount Street Engagement Day brought neighbours together for a morning of trap-setting demos, kai, and conversation about bringing birdsong back to the street. Dozens of households signed up, traps went home, and the catchment grew that very afternoon. Huge thanks to everyone who came along — these photos tell the story.
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Upcoming · Citizen science
NZ Garden Bird Survey — counting before we trap
Each winter, thousands of New Zealanders spend one hour watching the birds in their garden and noting the highest number of each species they see at once. It's the country's longest-running citizen-science project, and this year we're asking every Rat-to-Tūī household to take part.
Why it matters to us: the survey gives us a baseline. Before our traps really bite, we want an honest picture of which birds are already here — and in what numbers. Counting now, and again each year, lets us see whether trapping is actually working: are we seeing more tūī, korimako (bellbird) and pīwakawaka (fantail) as the predators come down? Without a starting line, we can't measure the win.
It takes just one hour, anywhere — your backyard, a local park, or a balcony. No expertise needed, and the data feeds national research that guides conservation across Aotearoa.
- When: held each winter (late June – early July).
- How long: one hour, one spot, counting the most of each species seen at once.
- What you need: the official tally sheet (linked in Resources below).
Resources
Learn more & go deeper.
The wider community we're part of, plus the tools we use to count birds and time our trapping through the seasons.
Brook Waimārama Sanctuary
Aotearoa's largest fenced sanctuary in the South Island, just up the valley from us — a glimpse of the birdlife we're working towards.
Visit the sanctuaryNelson Halo Project
The "halo" of backyard and reserve trapping that surrounds Nelson's sanctuaries — letting protected birds spill safely out into our suburbs.
Find out moreNZ Garden Bird Survey
Our baseline tool. Count for one hour each winter, then watch the numbers shift as trapping takes effect.
gardenbirdsurvey.nzGarden Bird tally sheet 2026
Print it, grab a cuppa, and count. The official sheet with every species and a handy guide.
Download PDFPredator-control calendar
Month-by-month guidance on when to trap, re-bait and target each predator — timed to the breeding seasons that matter most.
Open the calendarStart a group elsewhere
Not in Nelson? Start your own.
[Placeholder] A neighbourhood trapping group is one of the most powerful things you can do for native wildlife — and it starts with a single conversation over the fence. Here's roughly how we got going, and how you can too.
- Gather a few neighbours. Three or four keen households is all it takes to start a street network.
- Set up a Trap.nz project. Free, and the backbone of your data — it's what powers a live count like ours.
- Get traps in the ground. Ask your council or a local group about subsidised or shared traps.
- Count your birds. Run a baseline survey before you really ramp up, so you can prove your impact later.
- Keep it social. Engagement Days, a group chat, and shared wins keep people checking their traps.
Bring the birdsong back to your street.
Join Rat-to-Tūī today. Borrow a trap, log your catches, and become part of Nelson's growing halo of backyard trappers.