Field site selection
To run three replicate trials we needed to find areas that had wallabies at reasonable numbers so we can capture and collar them, but not too high that their home-range sizes were atypical of wallabies at the edge of their current distribution. That is, animal home-range size usually expands at lower densities. We also has some concerned farmers who were not keen on us catching wallabies and then letting to go (they preferred them to be killed). Dave Latham, Bruce Warburton and Jagath Ekanayake after very helpful discussion with Brent Glentworth (Env Canterbury) visited several farms and forestry blocks near Fairlie, in the Hakataramea Valley, and along the eastern side of the Hunters Hills and have selected three areas that should be suitable for the trials. It is great to get farmer support and access to their farms.
