Artificial Hollows
Hollow Homes
Pete Meadows
Bushfires pose a significant threat to Australia’s native wildlife, particularly arboreal mammals and birds that rely on tree hollows for shelter and nesting. Older trees, which develop natural hollows over time, are often lost in these fires, leaving many species without suitable habitats. To address this issue, nesting boxes have traditionally been used as an alternative, though they have a limited lifespan of around ten years.
A New and Innovative Approach
A new and innovative approach, pioneered by Main Roads ecologist Matt Stephens, aims to provide a more permanent solution. Using a specialized tool known as the Hollow Hog, trained arborists can bore artificial hollows directly into healthy trees. This process, which takes approximately 45 minutes per hollow, creates safe and durable refuges for wildlife.
Trail camera monitors the coming and going
Completed hollow showing the key slot below the entrance, open and finished.
Wollombi Landcare Project Team
Maaike Hofman, Ecologist (blue helmet) Eamon Dempsey, Lead Arborist (centre front) Euan Wilcox, Project Coordinator (blue shirt).
As part of a grant-funded Wollombi Landcare project, under the leadership of Euan Wilcox and ecologist Maaike Hofman, artificial hollows were installed at Wallabadah and Upper Yango. These were areas where previous surveys had identified the presence of the endangered Yellow Belly Gliders.
Unlike traditional nesting boxes, artificial hollows are expected to last as long as the host tree remains standing, offering a long-term habitat solution for vulnerable wildlife, at a similar cost to purchasing boxes and having a licenced arborist install them.
Upper Yango was introduced to the new process through the Wollombi Landcare initiative and was actively involved in this conservation effort. UYLA member and qualified arborist Pete Meadows received specialised training to participate in the project, playing a key role in the installations.
In 2024, Pete, assisted on the ground by landholder Phil Thrush, expanded the ground breaking initiative by installing hollows on properties throughout the Upper Yango Valley.
Endangered Yellow Belly Glider
Phil introduces us to the Hollow Homes project and how these innovations outlast the traditional nesting boxes