VCAL Project

Squirrel Glider Nesting Boxes & Red Gum Seats for Reedy Swamp and Parks Victoria 

Two classes of Year 11 and 12 VCAL students have partnered with Parks Victoria Project Officer Emma Banting to make thirty squirrel glider nesting boxes and four red gum bench seats, that will be installed in and around Reedy Swamp. 

We re-purposed a huge amount of plywood that was donated to us from Tony Villani, a Shepparton builder.  The red gum timber was also re-purposed from the grounds of Shepparton High School at the end of 2019.

The issue presented to us at the start of the year was that squirrel gliders have had a significant drop in their population and this has been impacted by the loss of their breeding habitats along with predators, like stray cats and birds of prey, who are contributing to the declining numbers of the squirrel gliders in the area.

We have been advised that monitoring of our nesting boxes will be carried out by Parks Victoria, using activity cameras to see if the squirrels are using their new homes.

Our nesting boxes comprise of:

• 13mm ply to help hold out heat in summer and keep them weatherproof in winter
• they have a lid that can be opened
• designed to ensure the entry hole is at the back of the box
• nests have a baffle board to stop birds getting in to use the boxes
• carpet on the inside ceiling / lid to stop bees taking over boxes

I am sure that I speak on behalf of more than thirty students who worked hard and teamed together to complete the project, even though COVID-19 presented us with extra problems.  

On Friday 30th October at Reedy Swamp we proudly handed over a trailer loaded up with thirty squirrel glider nesting boxes and four red gum seats that we made this year and gave them to a very happy and appreciative Emma Banting from Parks Victoria.

Kade Perry

Year 11 VCAL