World Environment Day sees nest boxes on show

Unfortunately, it’s a bit short on places to nest.

A history of land clearing means most of the forested areas surrounding Bendigo are less than 100 years old, with few of the established trees on which marsupials depend.

For over 30 years nest boxes installed around the Greater Bendigo National Park have played a host to native species, particularly the vulnerable marsupial phascogale.

These nest boxes were in the spotlight on Tuesday for World Environment Day, when members of Kyneton-based Biolinks Alliance and the Bendigo Field Naturalists met with Bendigo MP Lisa Chester.

Bendigo is a stable spot for the endangered phascogales, due to the consistent presence of nest boxes in the area, said Field Naturalist member Karen Thomas.

Approximately 300 nest boxes targeting the phascogales are installed across the south east of the Greater Bendigo National Park. They provide a safe home for native species, including the phascogale, swift parrots, sugar gliders and owlet-nightjars.

Phascogales use the nestboxes for protection from predators during the day, and as warm breeding sites.

The Field Naturalists are now working hard to keep up the aging nest boxes. Many were first installed over 30 years ago, and are now reaching the end of their lifespan.

The boxes provide an invaluable role in protecting phascogales, which the Bendigo Field Naturalists are keen to see continue.

“The areas where we have had the nest boxes have consistently had phascogales in them and in the areas, what we’re doing now is making sure that keeps going, as this species is prone to local extinctions,” Ms Thomas said.

“The fact that we’ve been getting phascogales breeding successfully in these areas indicates that other habitat requirements are being met.”

Nest boxes also allow the Field Naturalists to track phascogales population. Their 2017 spring survey showed at least 10 families of phascogales at one site in the Diamond Hill Regional Park.