Item HT 25117 Nest Box - Leadbeater's Possum, Lake Mountain Plateau, Black Saturday Bushfires, February 2009

Summary

Alternative Name(s): Nesting Box

Nest box collected by a Parks Victoria ranger involved in the Leadbeater's Possum Recovery Program.

The nest box was recovered from the Lake Mountain plateau on the Echo Flat ski trail after the bushfires of 7 February 2009. It was one of 30 nesting boxes installed on the plateau, primarily as a tool for annual population surveys. 22 of these boxes were destroyed in the fire and six were partially burnt, while only two remained intact. This box had been used by possums as a nest site prior to the fires.

This Leadbeater's Possum nesting box represents the impact of bushfires, and particularly the historically momentous Black Saturday fires, upon native wildlife and ecosystems. The Black Saturday fires have led to a changed role of nesting boxes. Though previously a tool used in conducting annual population surveys, new boxes which have replaced those damaged have become a vital source of nests and shelter for surviving possums, as many of the hollow trees in which they would naturally nest have been destroyed. Replacement boxes have been produced using recycled plastic rather than wood, offering greater strength and insulation.

Physical Description

The nest box was constructed using double thickness marine ply wood. The object has been damaged by fire as a result of the Black Saturday bushfires.

Significance

The Leadbeater's Possum is a faunal emblem of the state of Victoria. The species is endangered, and was rediscovered in Victoria's Central highlands in 1961 (Museum Mammals Curator, Joan Dixon, is thought to have been involved in the rediscovery) after being thought extinct in 1909. As such, it holds symbolic meaning beyond its inherent significance as a native marsupial species endemic to Victoria. Key threats to the species are forestry and intensive wildfire. The Leadbeater's Possum was severely affected by the Black Saturday fires which began on February 7th 2009, with around half of the species habitat being affected and the possible loss of the population at Marysville, the sight of its rediscovery.

This Leadbeater's Possum nesting box represents the impact of bushfires, and particularly the historically momentous Black Saturday fires, upon native wildlife and ecosystems. The damage incurred to the box is evocative of the heat of the fire which burnt in the area. The box was recovered from the Lake Mountain plateau, where conservation efforts are underway to prevent further population loss after the fires.
The Black Saturday fires have led to a changed role of nesting boxes. Though previously a tool used in conducting annual population surveys, new boxes which have replaced those damaged have become a vital source of nests and shelter for surviving possums, as many of the hollow trees in which they would naturally nest have been destroyed. Replacement boxes have been produced using recycled plastic rather than wood, offering greater strength and insulation.