Second phase of East Gippsland Nest Box Project celebrates growing success
Funded by the Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grant program, Phase 2 of the landmark East Gippsland Nest Box Project (EGNBP) is off to a roaring start with the project already doubling in size, seeing more than 500 new nest boxes constructed and ready for installation, and over 400 nest box surveys carried out.
“We’ve already had incredibly promising results with a variety of native species being observed including Crimson and Eastern Rosellas, Lorikeets, Galahs, and Krefft’s Glider families,” said BirdLife Australia Project Lead, Sam Monks.
“Over time, we’re hopeful we’ll see these nest boxes provide habitat for threatened species including Mountain Pygmy-possums, Greater Gliders and Turquoise Parrots.”
With Phase 2 of the project taking a whole-of-community approach, major project partners Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Bug Blitz Trust, Far East Victoria Landcare, East Gippsland Landcare Network and Snowy River Interstate Landcare Committee, have been engaging with local landholders, launching educational activities with school students, constructing nest boxes and undertaking monitoring surveys.
They have been joined by multiple community groups including Men and Women Sheds Victoria, and volunteers from over 100 Victorian schools – reflecting the ongoing community commitment to landcare-led bushfire recovery activities.
“By working in partnership with landcare, Birdlife Australia’s East Gippsland Nest Box Project has built community resilience and fostered connections, allowing fire-affected communities to work together in taking practical action to restore the environment,” said Landcare Victoria CEO, Andrew Maclean.
“The diversity of work including school students writing personalised messages to animals and people affected by the devastating Black Summer bushfires on nest boxes, and Traditional Owners providing their expert knowledge and guidance to the wider community, would not be possible without the whole-of-community approach adopted by this project.”
The $406,000 in funding provided by the Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grants program has also contributed to BirdLife Australia’s innovative . Currently in its pilot phase, the module will support the ongoing work of citizen scientists in implementing long-term monitoring and research protocols.
“The new module will allow us to collect the results of monitoring for birds and other animals that are residing within natural hollows, augmented hollows and nest boxes using specialised survey methods,” said Ms Monks.
“We’re excited to soon bring this project out of its pilot phase, which will see authorised Birdata users trained and registered to participate in one or more ‘hollow-monitoring’ projects coordinated by BirdLife Australia and affiliated organisations.”
Funded by the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Program for Wildlife and their Habitat, the $14 million Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grants are supporting projects in regions impacted by the Black Summer bushfires of 2019–20.
