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Carving out new habitat for storm-affected wildlife (www.deeca.vic.gov.au)

submitted 2 years ago by Treevan@aussie.zone to c/treehuggers@slrpnk.net

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cross-posted from: https://aussie.zone/post/902277

Arborists using chainsaws have been hard at work creating new hollows for threatened wildlife in storm-affected areas of the Wombat State Forest.

Hollows carved into trees could soon become home to species like the greater glider, brush-tail phascogale and Red-browed tree creeper, which lost important habitat in the June and October 2021 storms that affected more than 80,000 hectares of the Wombat State Forest.

'The idea is that these carved hollows will more closely replicate natural hollows, which can take 100 years to form naturally.

We hope to learn from this trial to see if these chainsaw-carved hollows can also be useful after planned burning activities or fire recovery to ensure the habitat is maintained or restored.

Supported by $67,000 of DELWP recovery funding, the Yarra Ranges Council is installing 60 modular nest boxes and multiple wood hollows across six locations in Lilydale, Mt Evelyn and Montrose as a part of its storm recovery works.

DELWP has supported the Yarra Ranges Council with detailed species information and advice to determine the most suitable habitat for installing tree hollows.

More than 100 native species depend on natural tree hollows, so protecting large, old, hollow-bearing trees and surrounding habitat is critical.

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[–] Treevan@aussie.zone 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I've done some of these professionally with a saw.

Step 1: Cut off a face plate. 2 angled cuts, top is angled upwards, bottom is angled downwards (plate will sit in this cut when put back). Bore cut between the cuts to take off the plate, about 20% of tree diameter.

Step 2: Cross hatch bore out hollow in center of face plate area, have lower cut facing slightly down for drainage. Smash it out with hammer/bar.

Step 3: Cut shallow entrance to hollow on the tree so it will be under the face plate when it's put back. Size it for species of animal. Angled down prevents rain entrance.

Step 4: Screw plate back on.

Tools needed: Chainsaw, hammer or bar, screws, drill.

There is a new tool that acts like a snake that is far less damaging to tree, hollows out inside without a face plate. Much better but doesn't exist as freely like a chainsaw does.