Predator Free Allandale

Predator Free Allandale is a community-led predator control initiative coordinated by Living Springs. Located in the Allandale Valley on the Port Hills, at the head of Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour, the programme brings neighbouring landowners together to restore native biodiversity across the wider catchment.

Established in October 2022 through Living Springs’ Kaimahi for Nature team, the programme has grown considerably. Today, 35 landowners are participating across an 1,800-hectare project area, including Living Springs’ 350-hectare property.

Across participating community properties alone, the predator control network now includes 329 traps and 186 bait stations, with 1,610 introduced pest animals trapped to date. These figures exclude the extensive predator control work undertaken within Living Springs itself, demonstrating the additional impact of working together beyond our own boundaries.

By reducing introduced predators, including possums, rats and mustelids, we are helping native vegetation regenerate and creating better conditions for native birds, lizards and invertebrates to thrive.

Predator Free Allandale is an important part of Living Springs’ wider conservation vision and our plans to establish a 220-hectare predator-proof eco-sanctuary. By working together across property boundaries, we can achieve far more for biodiversity than any individual landowner could accomplish alone.