1 August 2023
Many of Australia’s birds and mammals are hollow-dependent species, relying on old-growth forests and trees for much of their resource requirements. Tree hollows are also important spaces for breeding and provide shelter from seasonal weather extremes, predation and fire. Once lost, tree hollows can take hundreds of years to re-establish. Artificial hollows in younger, non-hollow-bearing trees can provide immediate habitat for hollow-dependent species.
In May this year, the ERA team provided four lucky Holmesglen TAFE students undertaking a Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management with training and certification in tree climbing and canopy access. This was an exciting opportunity for students to acquire additional qualifications and skill sets in ecological canopy access.
Following this, under supervision by ERA’s qualified arborist team, students used their new tree climbing skills to set up additional remote cameras at existing artificial hollows in Wombat State Forest. Students returned to check the cameras and retrieve the data. Students were also taught how to monitor hollows from the ground using nest box cameras and spotlighting, and how to undertake owl call playback.
Students reviewed the camera images and collated the monitoring data. They used the data that they had collected to provide management recommendations on hollow placement and design.
This project is a great example of public-private partnerships in the natural environment sector, and it received very positive feedback from both staff and students. More broadly, we hope that this research will provide a valuable contribution to industries involved in ecological/habitat restoration and the conservation of Australia’s hollow-dependent species.
