Hi. My name is Rita de Heer. I’m a volunteer with Brunswick Valley Landcare. We are deeply concerned about the continuing survival of owls, and are asking for your help to help owls. Please donate.

 

Six of the seven local owl species use nesting hollows to breed and nesting hollows are in short supply. Especially the size that owls need. Five species are medium-sized owls that will use nesting boxes. Over on the coast we also have the Grass Owl that nests in grass. The Powerful Owl lives in the foothills and ranges but will only rarely use nest boxes.

Owls used to nest in hollows that formed in tall old trees that have mostly been harvested, or cleared and burned. Trees need to be a minimum of 120 years old before they develop owl-nest-sized hollows. Owl populations have crashed and all five owl species under consideration are classified as Vulnerable to Extinction. Loss of forest habitat and nesting hollows are major causes.
Brunswick Valley Landcare and other Byron Shire organisations have been planting trees for about 20 years. But owls won’t survive if they have to wait another 100 years for hollows. They need to raise young now to build up their populations before they become too few to save.

Some of the trees we’ve planted are tall enough now, and their upper branches strong enough to support the size of nest boxes suitable for owls.

Owls need their boxes higher than almost all other species, 6-10 metres, (20-35 feet) above the forest floor! Nest boxes for owls may also be bigger than most other nest boxes.

We’ll buy the nest boxes and get them installed and monitor them, if you can help with the money.
Please donate and help owls.

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Introducing Our Owls

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Nobody in this area has yet installed nestboxes at the heights required, so I’ve costed tree services royally, to be prepared. $150 per hr for 2 climbers + GST and travel from Mullumbimby. 3 hours %20 GST %20 travel = $550%20/- for installation of one nestbox.
Owl nest boxes will come from Hollow Log Homes: 1 box + freight and GST = $114.
TOTAL for a nest box and installation about $750; 6 nestboxes = $4500
Two awareness raising workshops about nocturnal raptors, one by WIRES: fees and/or donations. $500
Person scoping appropriate sites for boxes: donation and/or fee: $500
Pole camera for monitoring at $880+/- with telescoping rod from local hardware store: TOTAL $1000
Inscribing tool, stationery, limited edition prints production, mystery gifts, postage. $1000

Some of the challenges: 

The weather on the days planned installing days.  Even a little bit of wind will be a problem. We'll allow the climbers to decide whether it's safe or not.

Finding owl-friendly trees with good canopy cover where owl mates can roost and young fledglings can safely learn to fly. i recently heard of a nest-box already in situ, with owls nesting in it. We can learn from that and write a list of requirements. I plan to put the word out through the Brunswick Valley Landcare Newsletter for interested landowners to check out their forests. 

Installing the nest boxes 6-10 metres (20-35 feet) above ground, exciting stuff even for onlookers. 

Working the pole camera to monitor successes will be a learning curve we will gratefully climb.