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 automatic self-resetting pest control traps and accessories.[1]

Goodnature Limited
TypePrivate, benefit corporation
Industrypest control
Founded2005
FoundersRobbie van Dam, Craig Bond
Headquarters
Newtown, New Zealand
Productslethal traps
Websitegoodnature.co.nz

History

Goodnature was founded by friends Robbie van Dam and Craig Bond who met while studying industrial design at Victoria University. Van Dam had a job at the Department of Conservation (DOC) in the Biodiversity Unit building gadgets for pest control when he noticed the methods for killing pest species such as rats, stoats and possums were either inefficient or inhumane.[2][3] DOC funded the development of some of their early concepts to create the traps manufactured by Goodnature today.[4]

Department of Conservation partnership

Goodnature released the first beta self-resetting trap for rats and stoats during New Zealand Conservation Week in September 2009.[5] The initial technology could self-reset 12 times using compressed CO2. Field testing led to the development of a trap for brushtail possums,[2] and another for rats and stoats. The company also built a lure development facility to test animal attractants as lures.[6]

The traps were put into long-term, large scale evaluation by DOC from 2010–2016.[7][8] Goodnature’s traps are endorsed by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) for their efficiency in killing pests,[1] and by DOC’s Science and Technical team which recommends their use for conservation projects to protect New Zealand native plant and bird species.[9]

Goodnature Products
Goodnature A24 trap powered by a CO2 canister

Goodnature produces and sells two pest control devices; one for brushtail possums, and another trap for rats and stoats; it also produces toxin-free lures to target these pests.[6][10]

Technology

The self-resetting traps are powered by compressed gas and use a target-specific lure to attract animals. The traps work by striking the skull of the animal with a steel-cored, glass reinforced, polymer piston (described as a captive bolt), killing it almost instantly. This piston is driven by compressed CO2 when the animal triggers the trap. Once the animal has been struck, the piston returns, dropping the animal to the ground and resetting the trap.[1] The traps have achieved the Class A standard for humaneness as set out in the MPI's National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee's guidelines.[8] This is the only possum trap ever to have met this standard.[11] The A24 also meets the United Kingdom’s Spring Traps Approval Order.[12]

Awards

In 2016, Goodnature’s A24 rat and stoat trap and automatic lure pump won Best Effect at the Design Institute of New Zealand for improving DOC’s capability in New Zealand forests.[13] It also received the supreme Purple Pin which is given to work that raises the bar of New Zealand design.[14] Both Goodnature’s A24 and A12 traps have won the Non-Consumer, Sustainable Product Design and Best Effect awards at the design institute’s Best Awards since 2011.[15]

Usage

Conservation usage

Goodnature's traps have been used in New Zealand in projects by DOC, city and regional councils, community groups, and households.[14]

DOC has used Goodnature traps on Native Island, Southland,[16] at Harts Hill in Fiordland National Park,[17] at Boundary Stream, Hawkes Bay, Te Urewera Mainland Island,[16] and at Abel Tasman National Park [18] 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.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21]

The traps were a key tool behind a rodent control program at Maria Langa Cay, Puerto Rico in 2014 chosen 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.[22][23]

Goodnature traps are also used in conservation projects throughout Hawaii including in Kalaupapa National Historical Park in Oahu,[24] in the Waianae and Ko'olau mountain ranges of Oahu, and on the island of Lanai.[25]

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.[26][27][28][29] The company's traps are now used in more than 25 countries including: the United States, Canada, England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Australia.[30][31]

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. "DOC trialling new version of self-set traps". Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2017-07-26.
  8. "New possum traps enter Phase II of DOC testing". Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2015-11-08.
  9. Ross, Allan. "Further update on Goodnature Ltd A12 and A24 Self-Resetting Traps" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-01.
  10. "Goodnature: Long life lures". Goodnature.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2017-09-02.
  11. "Pioneering traps and a cuppa: weapons in the frontline battle to save our forests". WWF. Archived from the original on 2017-04-15.
  12. "The Spring Traps Approval (Variation) (England) Order 2015" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-01.
  13. "Goodnature / Department of Conservation. A24 & Automatic Lure Pump". bestawards.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  14. "Goodnature & DOC win top design prize at Best Awards". Scoop. Archived from the original on 2017-05-19.
  15. "Goodnature | Best Awards". bestawards.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2017-04-15.
  16. "Goodnature A24 self-resetting traps: Successful results from three rat projects" (PDF). sanctuariesnz.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-01.
  17. Winter, Chloe. "Traps lure, 'whack', kill rodents to help make NZ 'predator-free' by 2050". Stuff.co.nz.
  18. "Return of robins to Abel Tasman mainland". Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  19. "DOC works with Goodnature to protect rare kiwi". Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2017-06-25.
  20. "Trap upgrade to protect endangered parakeet". Scoop. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  21. Weber, Adriana. "Pest-free kiwi sanctuary near Wellington doubles in size". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2017-01-30.
  22. Morton, Jamie. "Kiwi ingenuity saves endangered turtles (+video)". New Zealand Herald.
  23. "LA RATA - MARIA LANGA CAY - PUERTO RICO". Vimeo. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01.
  24. "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.
  25. Mendoza, Jim (October 31, 2017). "Army to install hundreds of rat traps in Waianae, Koolau mountains". Hawaii News Now.
  26. "Goodnature Traps. Geoff and Nick's adventure with Robbie". Halo. Archived from the original on 2017-04-10.
  27. "Pest trap takes off". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2016-01-22.
  28. "Island invasives: eradication and management" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-06-17.
  29. Hutching, Gerard. "Pest trap knocking off range of critters". The Dominion Post.
  30. "About Us, Goodnature". Goodnature.co.nz.
  31. "Automatic Trap Company".
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