Hollows carved into trees could soon become home to species like the greater glider, brush-tail phascogale and Red-browed tree creeper.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Recovery Operations Manager in the DELWP Grampians Region Chris Arnold said about 50 hollows had been created as part of an initial trial.
Another 140 followed in the project's second phase, including Cobaw State Forest.
A chainsaw carved some, while others were created using a method called Hollowhog that makes large internal cavities through small entry holes in both living and dead wood.
Read More:
Wombat Forestcare helped identify places where the greater glider and other threatened hollow-dependent species had been seen before the storm damage.
In those places, hollows have been carved into trees that lost their crown in the storms but remain standing.
"The idea is that these carved hollows will more closely replicate natural hollows, which can take 100 years to form naturally," Mr Arnold said.
"Being carved into the tree, they will have better thermal insulation, which we hope will encourage more wildlife use.
"The hollows of varying sizes will evolve as the trees grow and cater for different species over time.
"The district has partnered with Federation University, whose students will help provide ongoing monitoring of the hollows."
More News:
Grampians Regional Recovery Manager Mark Lee said the councils have been engaging with residents keen to address the loss of hollows during last year's storms.
"The shires have engaged Men's Sheds and Rotary groups to build the boxes," he said.
"The wood was sourced from Bushfire Recovery Victoria's wood processing plant in Romsey, and local community members will install it on their properties, so it's a real win-win story."
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from The Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Ararat shire, sign up here.
