The C.R.E.S.T
A coastal community on the southern side of the Manukau Harbour is building biodiversity, connection, and resilience on the on their edge of paradise.
Stretching along 40km of coastline and covering over 8,000 hectares, The C.R.E.S.T is taking a visionary approach to predator control. Supported by Predator Free Franklin, they blend science, community engagement, and a touch of whimsy. Their activities range from mobile hub days and trail building to bat monitoring, dotterel sandcastle competitions, and trap-building BBQs.
With over 300 traps in action around the community and 100kg of bait distributed each month, CREST has seen possum RTC rates plummet and birdlife bounce back.
The C.R.E.S.T’s big-picture thinking includes rewilding efforts, eco-tourism pathways, and predator-free 'inland islands' to get ahead of coming urban development and increased population it will bring.
