Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc

'Hollow As Homes' school visits

Educating the next generation will ensure tree hollows, which take generations to develop, are available Australian fauna

'Hollow As Homes' school visits

Educating the next generation will ensure tree hollows, which take generations to develop, are available Australian fauna

Reaching Out -

LLCI010-019

The issue

Did you know that it takes around 300 years to create a home for an owl?

In urban and agricultural areas throughout Australia, hollow-bearing trees are in decline. Hollow-creation is a slow process that relies on fungus to work on a tree.

In New South Wales, species that rely on tree hollows for shelter and nesting include at least 46 mammals, 81 birds, 31 reptiles and 16 frogs.

Forty of these species are listed as threatened with extinction in New South Wales and the loss of hollows has been listed as a key threatening process.

The solution

Local Landcare Coordinator Jason Richardson has been visiting small primary schools in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area to promote the role of tree hollows as habitat.

With hollows requiring many human generations to generate, it is especially vital that the next generation understand the use of trees by a variety of Australian fauna.

As part of Murrumbidgee Landcare's visits students learned how contested hollows can be, particularly in urban settings where hollows can be considered a public risk.

The impact

Jason spoke of his experience observing ringneck parrots intimidate grass parrots from returning to their nest within a hollow in a suburban grey box tree. The children were fascinated to handle the skull of a grass parrot chick that had later been pushed from the hollow by a new tenant.

The students had an opportunity to assess their school grounds and the surrounding area for hollows and observe local bird life using binoculars.

Key facts

  • The loss of hollows has been listed as a key threatening process.
  • Species that rely on tree hollows for shelter and nesting include at least 46 mammals, 81 birds, 31 reptiles and 16 frogs.
  • Hollows require many decades to develop, so addressing their shortage now requires ensuring that future generations understand their value.