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USC adds extra sanctuary for wildlife
The University of the Sunshine Coast has increased its status as a refuge for wildlife with the provision of 30 man-made tree hollows around its Sippy Downs campus.
The locally-designed and built nest boxes are positioned high in trees, and are attractive to a variety of animals including cockatoos, owls, insectivorous bats, kingfishers, squirrel gliders, lorikeets and possums.
USC’s Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology Dr Scott Burnett said the boxes were designed for certain species and mirrored the ecological function of a tree hollow in the natural environment.
“Some species like possums, gliders and bats sleep in them during the day and actually use them as their home,” he said.
“Whereas the kingfishers, lorikeets and cockatoos only use them for breeding and build their nests inside these boxes.”
Dr Burnett said he expected wildlife numbers using the boxes to increase over time.
“Typically it does take a little while for animals to learn that the boxes are there and start to use them,” he said.
“In the New Year we will use a webcam camera on the end of a pole to take a look inside the boxes.
“We already know that animals are taking refuge in them because we had a ringtail possum who was being harassed by crows, run straight into one of the boxes about five minutes after we put it up.”
Dr Burnett said the project had received funding from USC’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill.
“We have a commitment to protecting and bolstering the local wildlife here so this is about USC walking its talk and being a sustainable university,” he said.
Dr Burnett said the boxes would also become a valuable educational tool for students studying the subject Urban Wildlife Ecology.
— Michelle Widdicombe