Source: Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
Getting vital experience in the field and helping to combat an emerging ecological issue has been the key driver for Poornima Ilangamudali to take part in a ground-breaking summer research project.
The Toi Ohomai graduate spent six weeks over December and January at Rotopiko as part of a wider team investigating the effects of pest birdlife on a unique peat lake ecosystem.
Rotopiko, a peat lake located south of Ōhaupō between Hamilton and Te Awamutu provides a habitat for many native animals and plants.
Since the completion of Rotopiko’s pest-proof fence in 2013, and the successful eradication of mammalian pests (except mice), the lake has also become a night-time roosting site for ‘pest’ birds, such as starlings and sparrows, which have now reached plague proportions.