NORTH Swan volunteers are calling on the community to find spare hardware to donate in an effort to help owls return to the Bullsbrook area.

The North Swan Landcare Group and the Bullsbrook Community Men’s Shed have joined forces with resident landowners to build owl nesting boxes for installation across suitable properties in the area.

The initiative aims to provide safe nesting spaces for owl species in the area whose populations have been steadily declining.

North Swan Landcare (NSL) volunteers said the project highlighted what was possible when groups in the area collaborated.

“Both the Men’s Shed and NSL are community organisations powered by volunteers,” an NSL spokesperson said.

“Projects like this not only help the environment but also bring people together.

“We are always keen to welcome new members who want to get involved.”

Owls are natural predators to rodents and play a role in the ecosystem as population controllers but their numbers have fallen across the district according to NSL.

Volunteers said the decline was largely due to the removal of natural tree hollows through land clearing and the widespread use of toxic rodenticides.

There has already been expert criticism against the lax laws surrounding the use of lethal rodenticides with hills wildlife treatment centre staff saying the new restrictions didn’t go far enough according to Conservationists critical over tighter rat poison limit (Echo News, January 9).

Toxins could accumulate in an owl’s body when they hunted and consumed rodents that had been ingesting the poison, and the outcome was often fatal.

“Without suitable nesting sites and with ongoing poisoning risks, owl populations in Swan will struggle to recover,” the spokesperson said.

“The nest box program aims to address one part of the problem by creating safe places for owls to breed.”

The groups are running a hardware collection drive to gather materials needed to construct the nesting boxes.

Donated items will be reused and repurposed wherever possible, with groups looking for old wooden broom handles, 50mm or 60mm butt hinges, hardwood timber pieces such as jarrah of about 30cm in length and 18mm thick, 50mm or 60mm bolt latches and small corrugated metal sheets.

“Repurposed materials are perfect,” the spokesperson said.

“It’s far better for these items to go into building owl homes than ending up in landfill.

“We’re encouraging everyone to have a rummage in their shed or workshop.”

Donation boxes will be available at their planned locations at Bullsbrook library, Australian Premium Feeds store in Frigate Way, Bullsbrook and Swan Hills MLA Michelle Maynard’s office at 38 Main Street, Ellenbrook.

Ms Maynard said the effort was a great way to support the owl population in the area.

Community members may also bring donations to Paws in the Park Bullsbrook on Friday, March 20 where North Swan Landcare will be hosting a booth.

NSL volunteers said they hoped the project would not only help owls in the area but also inspire residents to become more involved in caring for their local environment.

“This is a simple way people can contribute to restoring owls to our landscape. Every hinge, piece of timber or old broom handle helps create a new home for wildlife.”