QEII National Trust covenant for an area fenced off for native plantings and wildlife and it is a protected piece of land.” The trust works in partnership with landowners to protect and enhance natural sites on private land with covenants in order to bring back greater biodiversity. “I help out with the planting of trees and plants, and I try to trap as many possums in the area as possible so that they do not destroy the native plants or the wildlife,” the Year 11 student says. “We also have a lot of native plantings down near the river on the farm, so I cover that area too. I have been trapping since Year 8, wanting to help my grandmother and protect the farm too. As well as the native reserve, we have a lot of stock on the farm and do not want any to get TB. Driving
at night, you can clearly see the possums, which actually shows how many are racing around.” Possums are carriers of bovine tuberculosis (TB) and, when infected, can spread the disease to other animals. They are also omnivores, eating both meat and vegetation. “First up, I look for areas with possum damage or possum poo around. I then bang a nail in halfway up a post or tree and add apple and cinnamon a week before trapping to attract possums to the area. Once the possums know where the food is, I set up traps directly below the posts and trees in the reserve, along the river area, and also around a pine tree plantation on the farm. Because the possums are used to the food, they come back for more, and as they go up the post, they stand on the trap.”
The trapping programme is also proving to be lucrative, with Harry selling the possum fur. “I sold the last lot of furs for $100 a kilogram, and that was about 20 possums. Working with my grandmother, we have a plan and always bait the traps a week ahead and then draw the possums to one spot. If you go around to too many places, it can be a bit hit and miss. On a good day, we trap five possums. However, I have got up to 11 possums in a day. It is definitely working, with fewer possums in the reserve.” With the Sustainable Future element, it is “a good opportunity to actually show what I can do to help the habitat, local farms, and my community”. “It really has made me more aware of our environment and the steps we all must take to protect it.”
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