First Funds!

As quiet as this blog has been, progress on PFUHB continues.

Bringing as many of the community along as possible is a road I haven’t traveled before. It is proving both rewarding and challenging and I know there are many more challenges and rewards to come.

Significantly, I am yet to meet up with someone who doesn’t believe in the intent of this project.

Yes, some think it’s crazy ambitious, and some have difficulty in comprehending what’s involved and how it could work, but not a single person has pushed back against the outcome we seek.

One of the first things I did when getting this underway was apply through Predator Free Trust for Kiwibank funding. I felt I was being a bit cheeky, most of what I had mapped out was pretty sketchy, however I’m delighted to say I was successful on my first try and am truly grateful for this boost and the encouragement given by Lynne Hemsley at Predator Free Trust.

I have also had funding offered by HBRC which is fantastic, they are also sponsoring and accompanying me on a visit to Predator Free Wellington to learn what lessons we can from their considerable experience.

Presently the challenge is putting the funding to best use with selection of the most appropriate traps and ensuring we optimise their location a small part of that challenge.

In addition I have begun to work very closely with Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay thanks to the interest and support shown by Professor Charles Daugherty and Sam Jackman. We are just working through how best to fit this program under that broader umbrella

I am expecting to publicly launch this programme in Conservation week, 14^th-22 September. Promotion of this event will be done through a media campaign and internal newsletter promotion from within the key organisations and schools that are already aligning themselves with this project, and through this website and subscribers.

Lastly, even at this early stage, I have to say this is one of the most rewarding things I have ever been involved with.

It has such a positive aspiration, feeds a bigger picture, and seems to bring out the best in the people I am engaging with. I feel extremely privileged to have picked up this ball and have the opportunity to create some enduring and positive outcomes that mean we can all live more lightly on this planet – and bring our native flora and fauna with us.