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Dr John Martin, wildlife ecologist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, outlines a citizen science project called Hollows as Homes. Hollows as Homes started at the beginning of 2016, its initial focus being the Sydney region. It is a collaborative project between the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney University and the Australian Museum. |
| Loss of hollow-bearing trees has been listed nationally as a threatening process for a range of biodiversity. Over 300 native species rely on tree hollows for breeding, roosting or protection, including 40 threatened species in NSW. Nearly all councils in Sydney (from Blue Mountains down to Wollondilly) are on board and the project is engaging with schools and will be expanding that aspect of the project. It is also liaising with Environmental Education Centres to have nest boxes in schools or nearby parks that schools can monitor. This has the potential to open eyes as to how important habitat really is. The project has grown and is encouraging people across Australia to report. There is liaison with Landcare, catchment management, natural resource management, local service groups, bush regenerators and councils to encourage them to participate. Dr Martin sees the project running for many years.
Galah at nest in tree hollow Cacatua roseicapilla J Turbill EOH
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In the northern hemisphere there are primary hollow excavators (woodpeckers) which are quick at creating small hollows. In Australia, the natural process is slower and hollows can take decades to form. Older trees are senescing and get removed one they are dead. There are a multitude of methods being used to address the lack of tree hollows.
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| Bird nest box at Warrumbungle National Park Simone Cottrell OEH
Once a whole dead tree was moved and attached to a living tree to keep its hollows but there is a huge expense associated with craning a tree out of the ground and trucking it somewhere else. Supplementary habitat is also provided by plywood nest boxes, which don’t last as long as natural ones.
They may, however, become the bread and butter hollows for many species.
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| There is also a new cut-in method. A dead branch from a living tree is lopped down to 1.5-2m and then bored into, forming a hollow. A faceplate is then attached. There are companies that make nest boxes and sell them commercially and some arboriculture companies offer cut-in tree hollows.
Cut-in Hollow for small bird John Martin.
The key for supplementary hollows is the species that use them. Micro bats, some owls and smaller species like gliders and red-rump parrots are not in large numbers and take priority over more numerous sulphur-crested cockatoos and brush-tailed possums.
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The project needs data to say what is working and which species use which type of natural hollow or supplementary ones, a key reason why they are asking people to monitor the tree hollows. The website (www.hollowsashomes.com) also works as an app on your phone. People can register and then report tree hollows or nest boxes and go through a step-by-step process of button clicking to record their wildlife sightings. Photos can also be uploaded. The project is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@hollowsashomes) where people can view the home pages. Someone actually took a photo of a brown snake in a hollow and a lot of reptiles and frogs use hollows. Even swamp wallabies will shelter in hollows at the base of large trees. Here is a great citizen science project aiming to capture what is really happening in the environment. It is well place to reveal some home truths for many species. Dr John Martin was interviewed for A Question of Balance by Ruby Vincent. Images from Dr Martin. Summary text by Victor Barry April 2017.
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