Goodnature

Goodnature is a New Zealand manufacturer of lethal traps for animals such as stoats, rats, mice and possums. It was founded by Robbie van Dam and Craig Bond in 2005, and sells pest control equipment and accessories.[1] The company's focus is on humanely controlling rodent populations, for which it has received some recognition in New Zealand and internationally.

Goodnature Limited
Private, benefit corporation
IndustryPest control
Founded2005
FoundersRobbie van Dam, Craig Bond
Headquarters
Newtown, New Zealand
ProductsRodent traps
Websitegoodnature.co.nz

History

Goodnature was founded by Robbie van Dam and Craig Bond who met while studying industrial design at Victoria University. Van Dam was working at the Department of Conservation (DOC) in the Biodiversity Unit building pest control traps, where he felt that the methods of killing pests such as rats, stoats and possums were either inefficient or inhumane.[2][3] DOC funded the development of some of their early concepts, which eventually evolved into their modern products.[4]

Department of Conservation partnership

DOC funded the development of some of Goodnature's early concepts, which eventually evolved into the company's current product line.[4] In cooperation with the DOC, Goodnature released a beta of a self-resetting trap for rats and stoats during New Zealand Conservation Week in September 2009.[5] The first model of the trap could self-reset 12 times using compressed CO2. After some testing, a later model was specifically designed for brushtail possums,[2] and another for rats and stoats. The company also began developing non-toxic animal attractants to use as lures.[6] The DOC currently uses Goodnature's traps, and recommends their use in both New Zealand's public and private sectors.[7][8]

Products
Goodnature A24 trap powered by a CO2 canister

Goodnature produces and sells two pest control devices; the A12 (capable of killing up to 12 possums per c02 to canister) for brushtail possums, and the A24 (capable of killing up to 24 rats or mustelids per co2 canister) for rats and stoats. The company also manufactures animal lures which act as attractants for targeted species.[6][9]

The traps are powered by compressed gas and use a target-specific lure to attract animals. When triggered, the traps strike the skull or spine of the animal with a steel-cored, glass reinforced, polymer piston (described as a captive bolt), killing the animal almost instantly. After action, the animal drops to the ground and the piston returns to its original position, primed for another use.[1] This design makes them well suited to conservation projects in remote areas, where manually resetting traps may present logistical challenges.[10]

Evaluation and Recognition

Goodnature's traps were evaluated by the New Zealand DOC from 2010–2016.[11][12] Subsequently, the DOC’s Science and Technical team recommended their use for conservation projects to protect New Zealand native plant and bird species.[13] The traps are also endorsed by New Zealand's Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) for their effectiveness.[1] After evaluating the traps according to its guidelines, the MPI's Animal Welfare Advisory Committee gave the traps a Class A standard for humaneness.[12] The A12 is currently the only possum trap given this rating.[14]

The A24 was found to be compliant with the United Kingdom’s Spring Traps Approval Order of 2018.[15]

In 2019, the USDA's National WIldlife Research Center published an evaluation of the A24's efficacy against house mice, citing them as a "non-toxicant alternative rodenticide".[10] The study found that mice who triggered the trap died instantly, considerably faster than the internationally accepted definition of a humane death. The traps were found to have a 100% efficacy rate, meaning that all mice who triggered the traps were killed instantly, with no partial injuries.

Awards

In 2016, the A24 rat and stoat trap won Best Effect at the Design Institute of New Zealand for supporting the DOC’s work in New Zealand forests.[16] Together with the DOC, Goodnature also received the supreme Purple Pin at the New Zealand's "Best Design" awards.[17] Both the A24 and A12 have won the Non-Consumer, Sustainable Product Design and Best Effect awards at the New Zealand design institute’s Best Awards.[18]

Usage

Conservation

Goodnature's traps have been used in New Zealand in a number of DOC projects, city and regional councils, community groups, and households.[17]

The DOC has used Goodnature traps on Native Island, Southland,[19] at Harts Hill in Fiordland National Park,[20] at Boundary Stream, Hawkes Bay, Te Urewera Mainland Island,[19] and at Abel Tasman National Park [21] In June 2017, 1200 stoat traps were installed on 11,400 hectares of the Haast Kiwi Sanctuary to protect tokoeka kiwi, as part of the department's Battle For Our Birds programme.[22] In the same programme, DOC also increased the number of stoat traps in Arthur's Pass National Park and Lake Sumner Forest Park in an effort to save one of New Zealand’s rarest parakeets (orange-fronted parakeet) from extinction.[23] In January 2017, the kiwi sanctuary at Rimutaka Forest Park was doubled in size to 7000 hectares to aid the regeneration of New Zealand’s North Island brown kiwi. A total of 1200 Goodnature traps were laid down to reduce the number of stoats at the park which prey on kiwi.[24]

The traps were also used in the rodent control program at Maria Langa Cay, Puerto Rico in 2014, in order to avoid the use of rodenticide on the island, which is a nesting site for the endangered hawksbill sea turtle and home to the brown pelican.[25][26]

Goodnature traps are also used in conservation projects throughout Hawaii including in Kalaupapa National Historical Park in Oahu,[27] in the Waianae and Ko'olau mountain ranges of Oahu, and on the island of Lanai.[28]

The company has also developed targeted devices for introduced mongoose in Hawaii, the introduced American mink in Finland and Sweden, and the introduced grey squirrel in the United Kingdom.[29][30][31][32]

gollark: How exactly?
gollark: https://git.osmarks.net/osmarks/potatOS/src/branch/master/src/lib/yafss.lua ← sandboxing code.
gollark: Well, why is it installed then?
gollark: Are you unaware of the sandboxing in potatOS?
gollark: Yes they do.

References
  1. Goh, Esther. "Goodnature: A cleaner take on pest control". Archived from the original on 2017-05-08.
  2. "Industrial design background proves Good for Nature". WWF. Archived from the original on 2017-04-08.
  3. Edwards, Jessy. "Killing in the name of: Goodnature's cleverly-designed pest traps aim to save our native critters". Idealog. Archived from the original on 2017-09-28.
  4. "100 ways to kill a rat". New Zealand Geographic. Archived from the original on 2017-05-10.
  5. "DOC and local designers come up with home-grown 'kiwi-saver'". Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2016-02-13.
  6. Niccol, Jared. "Stolen stoat anal gland oil was destined to protect rare kiwi". Stuff.co.nz.
  7. "Ground control for pests". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  8. "Choose traps and toxins". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  9. "Goodnature: Long life lures". Goodnature.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2017-09-02.
  10. Shiels, Aaron (September 15, 2019). "A24 efficacy against house mice (Mus musculus) with Goodnature Chocolate Lure" (PDF). usda.gov.
  11. "DOC trialling new version of self-set traps". Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2017-07-26.
  12. "New possum traps enter Phase II of DOC testing". Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2015-11-08.
  13. Ross, Allan. "Further update on Goodnature Ltd A12 and A24 Self-Resetting Traps" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-01.
  14. "Pioneering traps and a cuppa: weapons in the frontline battle to save our forests". WWF. Archived from the original on 2017-04-15.
  15. "The Spring Traps Approval (Variation) (England) Order 2015" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-01.
  16. "Goodnature / Department of Conservation. A24 & Automatic Lure Pump". bestawards.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  17. "Goodnature & DOC win top design prize at Best Awards". Scoop. Archived from the original on 2017-05-19.
  18. "Goodnature | Best Awards". bestawards.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2017-04-15.
  19. "Goodnature A24 self-resetting traps: Successful results from three rat projects" (PDF). sanctuariesnz.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-01.
  20. Winter, Chloe. "Traps lure, 'whack', kill rodents to help make NZ 'predator-free' by 2050". Stuff.co.nz.
  21. "Return of robins to Abel Tasman mainland". Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  22. "DOC works with Goodnature to protect rare kiwi". Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2017-06-25.
  23. "Trap upgrade to protect endangered parakeet". Scoop. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  24. Weber, Adriana. "Pest-free kiwi sanctuary near Wellington doubles in size". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2017-01-30.
  25. Morton, Jamie. "Kiwi ingenuity saves endangered turtles (+video)". New Zealand Herald.
  26. "LA RATA - MARIA LANGA CAY - PUERTO RICO". Vimeo. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  27. "Informational report on the use of Goodnature® A24 rat traps in Hawaii" (PDF). University of Hawai'i. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-26.
  28. Mendoza, Jim (October 31, 2017). "Army to install hundreds of rat traps in Waianae, Koolau mountains". Hawaii News Now.
  29. "Goodnature Traps. Geoff and Nick's adventure with Robbie". Halo. Archived from the original on 2017-04-10.
  30. "Pest trap takes off". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2016-01-22.
  31. "Island invasives: eradication and management" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-06-17.
  32. Hutching, Gerard. "Pest trap knocking off range of critters". The Dominion Post.
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