Seeking volunteers: 2024 Nest Box checks
Posted on 12 March, 2024 by Anna
Monitoring local legend, the Brush-tailed Phascogale, is one of our core activities here at Connecting Country. We’re excited to be planning our nest box monitoring for Autumn 2024, with support from the Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation and the Victorian Government Nature Fund!
Connecting Country’s nest box monitoring program was established in 2010. Our 450 nest boxes across the Mount Alexander region of central Victoria allow us to collect valuable scientific data about the threatened Brush-tailed Phascogale and other arboreal mammals. For more information on our nest box monitoring – click here
A Brush-tailed Phascogale. Photo by Geoff Park
This year, our nest boxes will be surveyed by an experienced team of trained volunteer Team Leaders.
We are seeking volunteers to assist the Team Leaders in conducting nest box surveys, with feet planted firmly on the ground (i.e., not climbing ladders).
This nest box volunteer role involves:
- Travel within the Mount Alexander region
- Following safety procedures
- Carrying ladders and equipment to sites
- Helping to navigate to sites
- Writing observations and recording data
- Taking photos
Fieldwork roles require working on uneven ground and carrying ladders (these are heavy!) through the bush, sometimes in hot or cold weather. Some sites require hikes through uneven terrain, or climbing over fences. Volunteers require a reasonable level of fitness and an adventurous spirit!
Volunteering on environmental projects is a great way to learn about our local environment, keep active, contribute to nature conservation, learn skills and meet new people.
If you are interested in assisting us, please send a brief email to anna@connectingcountry.org.au stating:
- Your availability during April and May 2024
- Why you are interested in volunteering (so we can do our best to make your volunteering experience as useful as possible, for you!)
- Any relevant experience
- Any questions you have
We look forward to hearing from you.
Greg helps his sister Kerrie inspect nest boxes. Photo by Kerrie Jennings
Max and Nat carry a ladder to a nest box site. Photo by Beth Mellick
Sugar Gliders in a Connecting Country nest box. Photo by Beth Mellick
Hi I help volunteer checking nest boxes in central Vic. Just thought I would let you know how we do it. We have a selfie stick taped to an extendable painters pole, and put phone on the selfie stick then lift the box lid with pole then spin it around so phone is looking in the box and take a photo with the selfie stick remote. Because the phone is in selfie mode you can actually see on the screen that you have the phone in the right place. Just saves caring a ladder around.
Thanks Robyn. Where do you monitor the nest boxes in central Victoria? Here is a great page we created, that explains how we developed our monitoring technique and methodology:
connectingcountry.org.au/whats-in-that-nest-box-an-update-on-our-monitoring-program/
Be Good to check out our nest boxs