Capricornia conservationists constructing hundreds of nest boxes for Yeppoon bushfire impacted birds receive funds boost from $300,000 Landcare

After fire tore through 11,000 ha of bush in Cobraball, Bungundarra, Maryvale and Lake Mary in last November, local Capricornia birdwatchers are working hard to construct nest boxes for the survival of endangered species in the region.

One of the recipients of funding from Landcare Australia’s $300,000 Bushfire Recovery Grants, Birdlife Capricornia have identified a need to provide man-made nest boxes as alternative shelter for vulnerable birds and mammals whose timber nesting hollows were destroyed during the hot fires.

“These hollows can take over 100 years for a tree to form and all birds have very particular requirements when it comes to nesting and breeding in them, so man-made nest boxes have to be built with this in mind,” explained Allan Briggs, Secretary of Birdlife Capricornia.

“Before, during and after the project, Birdlife Capricornia members will monitor the use of these nest boxes to gauge how effective they have been.

“Expected outcomes include birds like kingfisher, pardalote, black cockatoos and small animals like sugar gliders, phascogale and micro bats moving back into the area, helping to rebuild the fire-affected food web.”

Birdlife Capricornia will collaborate with Capricorn Coast Landcare and local Wildlife Preservation Society members to build a variety of nest boxes to suit different species.

“With these funds from Landcare Australia, we’ll organise a free nest box building workshop (basic tool skills, second-hand timber if available) in Yeppoon for people to learn how to assemble nest boxes and opportunity will be available for interested persons to observe how to install nest boxes correctly in the burnt bushland.

Made possible due to the extraordinary volume of donations from generous organisations and private donors, the Landcare Australia Bushfire Recovery Grants will support 23 wide-ranging regeneration projects focusing on activities including impacted rainforest revegetation, nest boxes for decimated native species and feeding programs for endangered wildlife.

Key issues for all the grant recipients include restoring essential wildlife habitat, management of invasive weeds, erosion control and protection of our waterways and aquatic habitat.

The funding came from generous donations during the bushfires from across the country and around the world, including Landcare Australia partners Brambles CHEP, Bushman’s Tanks, Bloom Aid and Hawkes Brewing.