Hamiltonians are being called on to help combat one of the city’s peskiest pest plants – with some awesome prizes up for grabs.

Moth plant is a fast-growing vine that can rapidly smother and replace native vegetation. Often mistaken for the fruit choko, moth plants form large pods, containing thousands of seeds. Once the pods open, they can be carried great distances in the wind.

Starting Saturday 1 March 2025 and running through to the end of April, teams and individuals could score a range of prizes worth over $1400 by collecting moth plant pods throughout Hamilton Kirikiriroa, as part of a competition run by Hamilton City Council in collaboration with Waikato Regional Council.

“Moth plants are quickly killing our native plants, and we need your help to get on top of controlling them,” said Hamilton City Council Community Restoration Advisor Aimee Nooyen.

“By removing moth plant pods in backyards and gullies, you will be preventing the spread of thousands of seeds and helping us win the war with this invasive pest plant.”

For the upcoming competition, teams and individuals are asked to collect as many pods as they can from around their property and local parks and gullies, then upload a photo of the pods they’ve gathered at hamilton.govt.nz/mothplant. Photos must have the pods in countable rows and include proof of the individual or team’s identity.

Once photo entries have been received, Hamilton City Council will then arrange for a staff member to collect and safely dispose of the pods. The pods must be in a sealed rubbish bag for collection.

“Controlling pest plants like moth plants is an important focus of our Nature in the City programme, which is aiming to increase Hamilton’s native vegetation cover from 2% to 10% by 2050. This is a pretty ambitious goal and to achieve it we’re going to need every Hamiltonian to be on board and do their bit to help care for our natural areas,” said Nooyen.

Nooyen said it is important that participants are careful when removing moth plant pods as the milky white sap is poisonous and can irritate your skin. Gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, a mask and eye protection must be worn while removing and/or handling any pods.

“Don’t attempt to remove moth plants in locations where it’s unsafe to do so, such as next to busy roads or near train tracks.

“If you do see moth plants in areas that are unsafe to access, you can report it to Hamilton City Council on 07 838 6699 or through the Antenno app.”

The team, individual, company or school who collects the most pods will win the first place ‘Wildlife Warrior’ prize pack valued at over $1000, which has a range of traps, tools and other items ideal for those keen to get stuck into restoring nature in their backyard or gully. There are also other great spot prizes up for grabs.

Entries for the competition close on Wednesday 30 April at 11.59pm. To enter and find out more, visit hamilton.govt.nz/mothplant

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