Carved Hollows, what we’ve learnt. Where to from here?

Project Description

Innovation in Conservation Symposium – May 10, 2024 – Ryde TAFE

Carved Hollows, what we’ve learnt. Where to from here?- matt Stephens

Natural tree hollows can take 120–300 years to form, yet a third of Australia’s vertebrate species depend on them.

Ecologist Matt Stephens introduces the Hollowhog, a groundbreaking tool that creates long-lasting, naturalistic hollows in living or dead trees—providing instant habitat for species from microbats and gliders to owls and native bees.

This innovation reflects the SERA National Standards principles of resilience-based restoration—intervening where ecosystems cannot self-repair and ensuring habitat features critical for biodiversity are restored.

Already adopted by land managers, councils, and conservation groups nationwide, the Hollowhog is helping fill one of the biggest habitat gaps in Australia’s altered landscapes.

More from Matt Stephens…

If you want to see the Hollowhog tool in action, a video from a field day, hosted by the Hunter Region Landcare Network, Hollowhog vs Nestboxes, was held on Dharawal Country at Brunkerville on 10 August 2024 as part of  Landcare NSW’s Private Land Conservation Matters (PLCM) project.

There is also an information sheet – Habitat hollows and Hollowhog