The Hon. Annabelle Cleeland, Member for Euroa, Media Release, 17 March 2026
Students at Rushworth P–12 College are helping restore wildlife habitat across fire-affected parts of northern Victoria, building more than 100 nesting boxes for native animals displaced by recent bushfires.
Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland MP recently visited the school’s HOPE (Hands-On Practical Education) program to see the project underway and meet students working alongside volunteers from the Rushworth Field & Game Club.
Ms Cleeland said the project showed the important role young people can play in environmental recovery.
“These students are doing something incredibly practical and meaningful for their community and the environment,” Ms Cleeland said.
“They are learning valuable skills while helping restore habitat for wildlife devastated by recent bushfires.
“Programs like HOPE show how hands-on learning can connect students to their community, their environment and the importance of volunteering.”
Each Wednesday, students take part in practical sessions with the club, developing hands-on skills while contributing to local conservation projects.
Through the program, students are building nesting boxes that will be installed in bushfire-affected areas to provide shelter for species including sugar gliders, possums, kookaburras, parrots and other native birds.
More than 70 boxes have already been built, with students and volunteers working towards a goal of more than 100.
The initiative comes at a critical time, with conservation groups estimating that up to 90 per cent of hollow-bearing trees were lost in some fire-affected areas, removing vital habitat for wildlife.
Nesting boxes help replace these natural hollows while forests recover.
“After such a devastating fire season, it is inspiring to see communities stepping up to help restore our landscapes and protect the wildlife that call this region home,” Ms Cleeland said.
Rushworth Field & Game has led wildlife habitat projects for many years, distributing thousands of nesting boxes across Victoria. Locally, the group has installed around 50 boxes along the Rushworth bike track, with nearly half now regularly used by native birds and animals.
The project is a partnership between Rushworth P–12 College, the Rushworth Field & Game Club and the Biodiversity Recovery Alliance, with the Tallygaroopna Men’s Shed also contributing woodworking expertise.
Nesting boxes will be installed across fire-affected landscapes in the coming months as part of ongoing biodiversity recovery efforts.
