Feral Pig Control in Peri-urban Areas

Feral pigs pose a threat to our native ecosystems and agricultural land. They overgraze, increase erosion, contaminate water sources, spread weeds and disease. 

Wodonga Urban Landcare Network has engaged Agriculture Victoria's Feral Pig Coordinator, Sam Armstrong to deliver a workshop on controlling pigs in our area with a focus on peri urban landscapes and collaborative management. This workshop will benefit new tree changers and small landholders in Wodonga and surrounding municipalities, existing Landcare members, and the broader community. Participants will gain knowledge about pest species, their environmental impacts, and effective control techniques for small properties. The workshop with be held in two sessions outlined below. 

The first session is a presentation and will focus on: 

• History, biology, behaviour
• Impacts on the environment, agricultural land and biodiversity 
• Discussions of appropriate management methods in peri urban landscapes 
• Proven integrated management and capacity building for community driven control 
• Collaboration and landscape approach techniques including new technology and equipment 
• Regional resources such as Landcare and government organisations
• Importance of humane and legal practice

The second session will be in the field for:

• Identifying signs of pigs (and other possible pest species)
• Demonstration of control techniques such as trapping and baiting by trained experts 
• Insight into equipment and technologies used for effective control 
• Assessing on ground management options for peri urban landscapes and collaborative control

This workshop will highlight the importance of identifying and managing feral pig issues proactively. 

This event is the second event in our Partnership Against Pests workshop series 'Growing capacity against invasives on small blocks'. We will be hosting four more events this year on foxes, woody weeds, herbaceous weeds and blackberries. 

The 'Growing capacity against invasives on small blocks' project is supported by the Victorian Government through the Partnerships Against Pests program.