The City of Greater Geelong is calling for community members to help identify tree hollows that could be suitable for animal nesting.
Deputy mayor Trent Sullivan said the Hollow Hunt project aimed to build a clearer picture of tree hollow resources across the city.
“Tree hollows can be found in streets, parks and reserves right across Greater Geelong – from Hovells Creek at Lara to the banks of the Barwon River at Fyansford and the beautiful nature reserves on the Bellarine,” he said.
“So many native birds, mammals and reptiles rely on tree hollows including bats, frogs, skinks, possums, gliders, owls, parrots, rosellas, cockatoos and kookaburras.
“Improving the quality of our data will help us understand how the loss of these old trees can be managed to minimise impacts on people and wildlife.”
Cr Sullivan said all the community needed to do if it spotted a hollow was take a photo and record it online at geelong.link/hollowshunt.
All the tree hollows can be viewed on an interactive map at the City’s public open data platform, Geelong Data Exchange.
Environment portfolio chair Jim Mason said data collected would help the City, scientists, researchers and policy makers to better understand and protect important natural resources.
“This project will help the City to understand the importance of tree hollows and plan for the future of native wildlife. We need to take action today because a hollow can take 100 years or more to form,” Cr Mason said.
“We’d love to see local citizen scientists involved in this project. It’s a great example of how we’re using smart technology to support data-driven decisions.”
Each animal has its own requirements in terms of hollow size, shape, depth and location.
Areas with old-growth trees that are likely to contain hollow include Hovells Creek, Barwon River trails through Newtown, Fyansford, Highton and Belmont, Balyang Sanctuary, Indented Head Woodland Nature Reserve, Basin Reserve in Drysdale, Dooliebeal Reserve in Armstrong Creek, Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, Kingston Park and Yellow Gums Reserve, and Barwon Heads Village Park.
