With funding from WIRES National Wildlife Grant Program and Evolution Mining, and support from local landholders and community groups, an initiative set out to restore critical habitat with carved hollows.
In 2023 Burnett Catchment Care Association (BCCA) launched a project in the Upper Burnett region near Monto, Queensland, to support one of Australia’s most threatened arboreal mammals: the hollow-dependent Greater Glider (Petauroides volans).
Teamwork
A central part of the project involved providing immediate denning sites in landscapes where natural hollows were scarce due to historical clearing and the slow rate at which large hollows form.
To address this, BCCA engaged Habitec, specialists in carved-hollow creation, to deliver durable, naturalistic alternative habitats directly into standing trees. Habitec’s carved hollows provide Greater Gliders with secure refuges that mimic the function of old-growth cavities while retaining living habitat structures.
Alongside Habitec’s carved hollows, nest boxes were built locally by the Monto Men’s Shed and installed across grazing properties. The combination of carved hollows and nest boxes offered both short-term and long-term habitat solutions, ensuring a greater range of den sites across the project area.
Success
The project also focused on knowledge sharing. Workshops and field days brought together graziers and ecologists. Community members were able to learn about Greater Glider ecology, the importance of hollow bearing trees, and practical steps for habitat enhancement. BCCA also established monitoring through iNaturalist to capture and record local sightings, engaging the broader community in ongoing conservation.
The monitoring has already shown strong results. In one of the project’s trees with both carved hollows and nest boxes, the Feathertail Glider, Squirrel Glider, and Common Brushtail Possum have all been recorded actively using the habitats. This demonstrates the immediate value of combining these techniques to provide habitats for a diverse range of hollow-dependent fauna.
Case study
In addition to these outstanding ecological outcomes, the project continues to be strengthened by the people behind it. Collaboration between dedicated and passionate individuals, from local landholders to community groups and specialist practitioners, has been an invaluable part of the project’s success, underscoring the power of shared commitment in conservation work.
By integrating modern arboricultural techniques, such as hollow carving, with traditional nest-box programs and landholder stewardship, the project has created a strong model for threatened-species recovery. It’s demonstrated how arborists, community groups, and conservation bodies can collaborate to achieve tangible outcomes for hollow-dependent fauna.
This case study has highlighted the role of carved hollows in conservation practice. For arborists looking to expand their professional toolkit, the new book Carved Hollow Creation: A Conservation Arborist’s Field Guide is the go-to resource. Packed with step-by-step guidance, proven techniques, and lessons from projects like this one, it’s an essential reference for anyone working to support hollow-dependent wildlife.
Order online today at habitec.org.au and take your arboricultural practice to the next level.
