CCG students help save endangered species through the Nest Box Project
Community College Gippsland (CCG) Trades Training Pathways students are making significant contributions to saving Victoria’s threatened wildlife. By putting their learning skills into practice, CCG students have built nest boxes to provide habitats for small endangered species. Some of these boxes have been placed around CCG Warragul campus, while others have been donated to the volunteer group, Kinglake Friends of the Forest, to aid the conservation efforts in the region.
Kinglake Friends of the Forest plays a crucial role in surveying the forests for hollow-bearing trees, which often occupy endangered species. The group also conducted night surveys to identify small and large threatened species, such as greater gliders, yellow-bellied gliders, and brush-tail phascogales. The data collected is uploaded to the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas (VBA), contributing to habitat protection efforts.
Robyn Tarrant, a dedicated Kinglake Friends of the Forest volunteer, has been part of the project of installing the nest boxes in areas lacking hollow-bearing trees to support native species.
Tarrant, who holds an Animal Ethics Certificate from the Deakin University Animal Ethics Committee, emphasised the importance of nest boxes in sustaining native species: “The nest boxes the students have made will be an invaluable refuge for small threatened and endangered species. Hopefully, we will even get some pygmy possums to move in!”. Tarren further said “We survey the forest during the day for hollow-bearing trees potentially occupied by threatened species, then follow with night surveys. In areas where hollow-bearing trees are scarce, the nest boxes fill a critical gap, offering a safe haven for species that rely on tree hollows for shelter.”
This collaboration between CCG and Kinglake Friends of the Forest highlights the power of community partnerships in protecting endangered species. Through hands-on learning and a passion for conservation, CCG students are actively contributing to the preservation of Australia’s precious wildlife. For more information or to apply, please contact CCG on 03 5622 6000.
Media enquiries:
Irasha White
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Community College Gippsland
03 5622 6000
