Native fauna in the box seat

With a decline in hollow-bearing trees across the shire, there’s high demand for a cosy nest among our native birds and animals.

Eurobodalla’s residents often go to great effort to create wildlife havens in their backyards; growing native plants and providing water for birds and ponds for frogs. Now they’re providing animals and birds with new homes too.

About two dozen nature lovers rolled up to a nestbox-building workshop hosted by Eurobodalla Council earlier this month. The result was 20 new nesting boxes, perfectly suited for local kookaburras, rosellas and gliders.

Council’s environmental officer Emma Patyus said the workshop was held on a cold and windy day, “a good reminder of how important these nestboxes will be in providing animals and birds protection from the elements when natural hollows are in short supply”.

The workshop was led by Susan Rhind and Murray Ellis – between them the couple have 60 years professional experience in nestbox construction and placement. Ms Patyus said participants went home with their nestbox and solid knowledge on how to hang it.

“The type of nestbox made by each attendee was species specific for location and environment,” Ms Patyus said.

“For instance, for Broulee we made up protective new homes for feather-tail gliders, given recent reports of their being caught and killed by domestic cats in that suburb.”

The workshop was only possible thanks to generous work done by the Eurobodalla Woodies who volunteered their time and expertise to pre-cut all of the materials and provided many helping hands during the workshop itself.

Ms Patyus said demand for there was a clear demand for these types of activities.

“We have a waiting list and huge interest from community and Landcare groups,” she said.

“It’s terrific to see the shire’s younger generation keen to get behind projects like this.”

To find out more about building and using nesting boxes in your backyard, visit https://www.wires.org.au/wildlife-info/wildlife-factsheets/Wildlife-Nest-Boxes-LLS.pdf.