Moth Pod Competition

By Anonymous -
The Moth Pod Competition is back this year and we have $2,000 of prize money! So make sure to read the information and get involved.

Moth Plant is an introduced pest plant that is causing a huge amount of damage to our native forests, and therefore damaging the habitat of our precious native species that are found nowhere else on Earth. You may have seen them around your neighborhood or even in your own backyard. They usually grow against fences or shrubs, and the pods are about the size of your fist. The goal of this competition is to remove as many pods as possible before they go to seed, as each pod contains about 800 of them that are carried by the wind.  


How to enter/rules:

-To enter you need to collect as many seed pods as you can and send a photo with you and your seed pods (organized into groups of 50 pods in rows etc) to chaslam@mags.school.nz. Prizes can be claimed by an individual, or a team which then splits the prize evenly.

-You can only enter the competition once, either as part of a team, or an individual, but not both.

-Photos can be sent in between the 1st of April to the 29th of April. Please include your name and how many pods you collected in the email subject line.

-You must have permission from a parent or guardian, AND the landowner from where you’re removing the pods. It must be done with another person present, just to be extra careful. These conditions may be checked on if you claim one of the prizes.

-The removed pods must be clearly visible in the photo and we need to be able to count the number of pods in the photo. We need to be able to identify you from the photo as well.

-Once you have finished, be sure to dispose of your pods in your normal weekly rubbish bin collection. You can also put them in community rubbish bins.

Please be aware that Moth Plant contains a sap which is known to irritate skin on contact. Furthermore, the pods are very harmful if eaten. To manage these safety hazards you must wear gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, eye protection and wash your hands after the removal of these pods. Also, these vines can grow very tall, and we do not want any person attempting to remove pods from great heights so only attempt to remove pods you can easily reach from ground level.

Remember, nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. Thank you in advance to all those who will be playing their part in protecting our unique native plants and animals.

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