Reviving Habitat
The modern environment is a heavily transformed landscape. As development progresses, the challenge of maintaining adequate habitat increases. Thankfully when it comes to habitat in trees, there are creative solutions on the rise.
We have all had some level of exposure to our native wildlife. For some it may be through visiting sanctuaries, seeking it out during a bush walk, or simply defending food on a camping trip. I’ve been lucky enough to have many amazing encounters during my time at university studying Outdoor and Environmental Education. I have found that Australian fauna are often well camouflaged in the landscape, and usually it’s not until they’re on the move that we see them. But how often do we pay attention to where they live? Brushtail and ringtail possums have done well to adapt in urban environments by taking up home in crafty ways, usually in your roof cavity or shed. However, many other species are not so ready to start a share house, and I think many people would agree that’s a good thing.
Relying on hollows to naturally form in trees in suburbia is no longer a sustainable option. Generally the trees that host hollows are also the ones that pose a high risk to people or property, and are quickly removed or heavily pruned. Installing plywood nesting boxes has had great success in providing much needed accommodation to our fauna. I have placed several boxes in Warrandyte and Frankston areas with great results, but they’re lacking an evidently crucial concept of thermal mass. Ultimately, the thickness and density of plywood used to build nesting boxes just can’t compete with a hollow in a tree. The thermal mass of the surrounding wood of a tree hollow acts as a buffer from outside temperature fluctuations, meaning the young, vulnerable residents aren’t so quickly under threat by Australia’s extreme temperatures.
In the past two decades it has become increasingly popular for arborists to carve hollows into trees by using a chainsaw. This method addresses the thermal mass issue of plywood boxes, but it’s time consuming and hard on equipment. More recently an Australian made tool has arrived on the scene that’s specifically designed to carve hollows into trees. It grants the ability to create a decent sized hollow with only a small, discrete opening, and offers the opportunity to create hollows in living trees as well as dead trees. You can read more about this game changer at Hollowhog.com.au
If you’re interested in exploring opportunities to provide much needed habitat for our local wildlife, we can work with you to suggest planting strategies, species-targeted hollows, hollow types, and much more. Get in touch via our contact page today to start the conversation.