As Australian native animals continue to face escalating threats from both habitat loss and predation by introduced species, conservationists are encouraging the public to explore ways to support the survival of our wildlife into the future.
Habitat loss has significantly impacted Australia’s small mammals in the last century, including countless marsupials, birds and rodents. Since European settlement, we have lost more mammal species than any other continent, with over 100 species declared extinct or extinct in the wild.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, wildlife enthusiast Alice McGlashan said nest boxes — small, man-made structures designed to provide a safe place for small animals to nest and raise their young — are one “critical” and cost-effective way we can give back to nature.
She said it’s a “great” method we can use to protect our natives from the elements and from predators like cats and foxes.
“They’re also a great way for people to connect with nature in their backyard urban environments,’ she told Yahoo. “Watching and sharing the antics of nest box families. This can also lead to much more interest and awareness of the needs of native critters.”
Sugar gliders, possums, birds and even reptiles can utilise nest boxes. Source: NestBoxTales/Facebook
What are the benefits of nest boxes?
McGlashan said nest boxes provide a safe, sheltered space for birds and small mammals to nest and raise their young, especially in urban or suburban areas where natural habitats, such as trees with suitable cavities, are scarce. This is particularly important for species that rely on tree hollows, which are in limited supply due to land clearing.
She said it’s so “critical” to “install habitat hollows” after losing hundreds of years-old trees to logging, in turn destroying homes for birds, possums, gliders, frogs and lizards largely — which have largely “been wiped from our cities, towns, farm landscapes and peri-urban environments”.
“Critical too, is installing the right designs using the right materials, the right way,” she explained. “Else harm and disappointment is a significant risk. [That’s] why I started Nest Box Tales as this info wasn’t easy for me to find when I began my nest box journey.”
Since European settlement, Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent, with over 100 species declared extinct or extinct in the wild. Nest boxes are one way we can give back. Source: NestBoxTales/Facebook
A study published in Conservation Biology found that unmanaged populations of small mammals declined by an average of 96 per cent over a 20-year period in Australia. Between 2000 and 2017, more than 7.7 million hectares of land likely serving as habitat for threatened species were lost due to habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation.
These statistics underscore the critical need for habitat conservation and restoration efforts to protect Australia’s small mammal populations.
According to McGlashan, they even make for great Christmas presents.
“The timing is great too, with people seeking holiday project ideas for quality time with their kids,” she said. “That can provide ongoing family bonding and learning opportunities.”
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