Once nest boxes have been instaleld, they need to be inspected annually to check that no pest species have taken up residence as well as to ensure the boxes are in good condition.

WaCC successfully gained funding from the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Grant Application ‘City Critters’ in July 2024. This funding covers the monitoring of the twelve nest boxes installed in February 2024 in Riverhills.

In October 2024 Dr Tamielle Brunt from Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland inspected the twelve nest boxes as part of the City Critters Project and provided a citizen science workshop following the nest box inspections. Dr Tam provided a report about the data collection and interpretation of results. We found a Rainbow Lorikeet sitting on an egg, a possum and evidence showing that others had been visiting a couple of the nest boxes.

Dr Tam, photo on the left, had the camera on an extendable pole focussed on the inside of each of the twelve nest boxes while the adults and young children took turns working together while learning how to use the hand-held LCD wireless monitor which showed what was in or evidence of what had previously visited each nest box. They would then announce what they viewed and report it to the data monitoring person who wrote it on the list along with the position of each nest box.

I loved seeing everyone, and having a quick turn with the monitor myself, so intently watch the monitor. Everyone quickly picked up the process, maybe we inspired some future ecologists at this event. The photos below show people diligently checking their observations on the monitor. This is the sort of monitor we like children and adults watching.

The group then went to the Pooh Corner Environment Centre where Dr Tam talked about a range of native animals and detailed the benefits of installing nest boxes.