Goodnature launches mobile app to help backyard trappers measure conservation success

Conservation Week 2017: Goodnature App allows kiwis to count their predator kills and see the nationwide capture tally grow in the build up to Predator Free 2050

Wellington, October 18 – Conservation technology company Goodnature is making predator control even easier with its new mobile app designed to enable every Kiwi to become a conservationist.

To celebrate this year’s Department of Conservation’s (DOC) Conservation Week, themed “Love My Backyard”, Goodnature has released an app designed to make conservation more engaging, fun and efficient. The Goodnature Constant Control App allows users to tally their pest kills, notifies of the need to replace lures and gas canisters and allows traps to be marked on GPS maps for ease of tracking.

“We are seeing the democratisation of conservation in New Zealand, which is hugely powerful and it means this is one of the most exciting times ever for conservation in this country. We are leading the world in this area,” says Goodnature Director and Co-founder, Robbie van Dam.

“Twenty years ago, conservation was primarily the preserve of niche expert groups - environmentalists, scientists and policy makers. Today, we are seeing individuals from all walks of life being really passionate about conservation and the predator free vision. This is both hugely exciting and essential to our collective success. Our app is designed to better enable backyard trappers to have a more fun, efficient and effective conservation experience.”

The GPS-enabled app is designed for backyard trappers who use Goodnature self-resetting traps on their property and want to know how their traps are contributing to predator control efforts locally and nationally. Users can see their own trap strike tally, the number of strikes within a 5km radius, and the total tally across New Zealand.

DOC estimates about 25 million native birds are killed by predators each year. Introduced pests like rats, stoats and possums, are a major threat to New Zealand's native species and controlling them is essential for the survival of our native plants and animals.

Community Ranger with the Department of Conservation, Angus Hulme-Moir says predator trapping in backyards is going off all around NZ. “Tools which help to engage people and keep them involved are really useful. And connecting the work of individuals to the greater story is critical to helping to create and sustain the predator free movement.”

This year’s Conservation Week encourages Kiwi’s to get involved in activities either in their own or New Zealand’s backyard. People can get involved by taking part in community and home activities like planting, predator trapping, picking up litter, removing invasive weeds and learning how to attract birds and other wildlife to the garden.

Share your love online with the hashtag #LoveMyBackyard. Conservation Week runs from 14 – 22 October.

Goodnature App features:

• Constant control: Receive notifications when it’s time to replace your CO2 canisters and lure

• Collate: Tally up each strike so you know how many rats, possums and stoats have been killed with your traps

• Compare: See how your trap is tracking compared to other traps in your backyard

• Contribute: Input your strikes to provide data on the overall tally of pests killed with Goodnature traps in New Zealand

• Success guide: Discover how your traps work, the best location to place them and how to install successfully

The Goodnature Constant Control App is available now for free download in the App Store and Google Play.

To support the launch of the new app, Goodnature has made a video which can be viewed here.

ENDS

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