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The Tradescantia Terminator Team

The Tradescantia Terminators, a Kerikeri High School year 9 and 10 problem solving team, presented a case to a mock court for the release of Tradescantia bèetles along Wairoa Stream in kerikeri to control the invasive weed Tradescantia fluminensis commonly known as Wandering Jew.

The Tradescantia Terminators project team

The year 10 members of The Terminator Team' pictured with the two judges Dr Jenny Dymock, entomologist, who introduced the beetle to Northland and Rod Brown of Vision Kerikeri and Friends of Wairoa Stream.

The judges were very impressed with the student's mastery of the subject and their presentation.

Tradescantia is a significant problem along the stream as it thrives in moist warm forest and makes a thick carpet preventing natural regeneration. They concluded that the student's plan would make a real difference to the efforts to restore natural habitat along the stream.

Wandering Jew

Wandering Jew

Terminator Links

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