Friends of the Blade is a volunteer group that was formed to develop a pest free zone around the Pā Kererū walking track and the rest area known as The Blade, at the end of Whakamārama Road, 24km northwest of Tauranga.

Friends of the Blade currently have over 48 volunteers who visit all the trap lines every fortnight to record the dead pests, remove them, rebait and reset the traps.

Pests targeted are possums, rats, mustelids, and feral cats that have no place in our native forests. Volunteers are also working to extend the area covered by marking out and cutting new trap lines, as volunteer numbers allow.

All the traps are DOC-approved instant-kill traps, and all baits are non-toxic.