Hollows are vital for the survival of many species in our Shire. The best way to provide hollows is to keep trees which have them, standing.

The next best way, while waiting for younger trees to mature over the next century or two, is to install some artificial hollows.

You can have a look at these quick guidelines which came out of some post bushfire projects by North Coast Regional Landcare, or these very comprehensive ones from the Biodiversity Conservation Trust.

You can buy them from several manufacturers of wooden, and even 3D printed ones (there are often some wooden ones at the Bellingen markets). Some local contractors can create hollows inside existing trees with the “hollow hog” machine.

Or you can visit one of various web sites like this site, and download plans to make your own.

Make sure you know how to operate safely if trying to install them yourself, otherwise an arborist can help you out, especially for species needing high boxes.