Nest box salvage, management plans and installation.
Tree hollows take decades to form, and clearing removes them in a day. Fauna Spotters salvages hollows and existing nest boxes from development sites, writes the nest box management plan your approval asks for, and installs and monitors the boxes, so hollow-dependent wildlife has somewhere to go.
Nest box and hollow salvage
Before and during clearing, our crews recover habitat that can be reused rather than mulched. Hollows and boxes are checked for occupants first, and any animals found are handled under the licence for your state.
- Existing nest boxes inspected, removed and relocated out of the clearing footprint
- Hollow sections salvaged from felled trees and refitted as natural nest boxes
- Logs, hollow limbs and stags set aside for ground habitat in retained areas
- Every salvaged item tagged, photographed and recorded in the client portal
Nest box management plans
Our ecologists write a plan that matches your development approval, offset conditions and Fauna Management Plan. It sets out how many boxes are needed, which species they are for and how they will be checked and maintained over the life of the program.
- Hollow survey results and the number of boxes needed to replace them
- Target species and a box design for each, from gliders and possums to microbats, parrots and owls
- Placement rules for height, aspect, spacing and tree selection
- Installation methods that let the tree keep growing
- Monitoring schedule, occupancy recording and pest species controls
- Maintenance, replacement and reporting for approval condition sign-off
Nest box installation and monitoring
Our crews install boxes from ladders, elevated work platforms or by tree climbing, depending on the site and the height required. Each box is numbered and mapped so it can be found and checked for years to come.
- Nest boxes supplied, or installed from your approved supplier
- Installation by trained crews working at height under our safe work method statements
- GPS location, photo and box details recorded for every box
- Occupancy checks with pole cameras, with feral bee and pest bird removal
- Monitoring reports formatted for your approval conditions and regulator returns
When you need it
Nest box programs are often required where hollow-bearing trees are removed for subdivisions, mine and quarry expansion, road, rail and transmission corridors, and renewable energy projects. They are usually written into development approval conditions, offset agreements or a Fauna Management Plan, and work alongside our Fauna Spotter Catchers on clearing day.
Licensed in every state
We hold the Rehabilitation permit (spotter catcher) in Queensland and the Wildlife Management (Controller) Permit in South Australia, and supply licensed personnel in both. In every other state and territory we obtain the correct licence for each project, with management plans and crew credentials ready to go and applications pre-filled, for the fastest possible path to approval.
Frequently asked questions
When should the nest boxes go up?
Ideally before the hollow-bearing trees are cleared, so animals moved off site have somewhere to go straight away. We set the timing in the nest box management plan to suit your clearing program and approval conditions.
How many nest boxes do we need?
That depends on your approval conditions and the hollows recorded on site. We survey the hollow-bearing trees first, then the plan sets the number, size and type of boxes so each lost hollow is properly replaced.
Can you salvage hollows from trees we are clearing?
Yes. Our crews mark suitable hollows before clearing, check them for animals, then cut and refit the hollow sections as natural nest boxes in retained vegetation or the offset area.
Do you monitor the boxes after installation?
Yes. We check occupancy, remove feral bees and pest birds, repair or replace damaged boxes, and send monitoring reports for as long as your approval requires.