New life for an old tree as a habitat home

Published on 20 September 2024

Ku-ring-gai Council and volunteers from Sydney Wildlife Rescue have worked together to create several homes for wildlife in a dead gum tree.

Sydney Wildlife Rescue volunteers contacted the Council earlier this year to help them create the habitat homes in the tree.

The tree chosen for the project was a dead gum located in bushland composed of the endangered Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest, in Bicentennial Park West Pymble.

Council staff assessed the tree’s suitability, trimming back branches and leaving the main trunks and large branches to function as a ‘habitat stag’.

Habitat stags are large dead trees which are left standing with the aim of providing homes for native wildlife.

An arborist engaged by Sydney Wildlife Rescue created six hollow homes by drilling deep into the tree’s trunk and branches. Wooden lids with small entrances were then placed over each hollow.

According to Council staff, animals and birds such as microbats, antechinus, parrots and kookaburras could be enticed to use the hollows, and even frogs.

The tree is a safe distance from pedestrians and vehicles but able to be seen by the public. Bushcare volunteers will monitor the hollows and camera monitoring will be used during peak breeding periods.

After monitoring of the Bicenntenial Park tree is completed the Council will look at expanding the program, with more trees to be identified in suitable locations to install hollows as homes.

Watch a video explainer of the project