Data in your hands – the power of Arc Maps
A heat map showing historic catches and activity at the north of MiramarEasy access to data is essential to our work at Predator Free Wellington. In the field, data informs where and how we work to remove rats and stoats from Wellington. A new app gives data superpowers to our already elite team.
We worked with information specialists from our partners Greater Wellington to create Arc Maps, which connects data from our different channels. Even better? It’s all automated and updates every two hours. The end result is a simple map that required a lot of hard work to bring together!
Here’s what it can show us:
Know you’re in the right spot
We’re power users of Trap.NZ. Arc Maps displays our Trap.NZ catch information for the past two weeks. Our field team mostly adds records to Trap.NZ; the technical team at base compile the collective data, then screenshot maps to share. It’s a manual task to share maps that can become outdated pretty fast! Having access to rich, current and easy-to-view data helps things flow in the field.
Getting warmer…
Need more than just two weeks’ data? What about a heat map that shows all catch data across the whole five years of our project?! Rats aren’t random – they’ll go to good habitat, where we’ve found them again and again. Armed with this information, we can focus on the exact right area. Any rat that sneaks back into an area we’d cleared will think it’s pretty clever snuggling into some Cape Ivy. The rat’s only problem is, with historical data, we would’ve added a camera and trap as a welcoming present.
Catch information around Lyall BayPawsome support
Our dog handler Sally and rat detection dogs Rapu and Kimi are essential to our project. The dogs pinpoint rats and follow scents that humans cannot. Their insights and data are now more accessible in the field. Through Arc Maps we can see GPS trails of where Sally and the dogs have been. We can also see Sally’s location-tagged photos and videos. If the dogs find nothing, great. If they smell a rat, we can make a precision strike.
Time for a checkup?
Arc Maps also includes information about our signs, traps and bait stations. We have signs in public spaces that explain the traps and toxins we use. We check these for vandalism or damage. Our trap boxes can also wear out. Being able to easily pull up this information is part of a ‘health check’ for our network, keeping it in great shape.
Better access to the info we need
This system combines and automates a lot of our data sharing. It adds layers of information to how the field team does their work. It also shows property boundaries, which of our operational zones the team is in, and the location of the nearest public toilet – always good to know! If you were in the field, what kind of information do you wish you had on hand?
Our Arc Maps uses ESRI’s ArcGIS Field Maps app, and runs a custom map built with online ArcGIS tools.
Posted: 27 January 2026