Room With a View.
Nest Boxes & Hollows. Nationwide.
A free, national citizen science initiative to record, monitor, and learn from every nest box and tree hollow across Australia. Built on ProofSafe — open to everyone.
Hollow-dependent species are running out of homes
Across Australia, hundreds of species depend on tree hollows that take decades to form. As trees are lost, so are the hollows. Nest boxes help — but we don't know enough about what works.
Hollows take 100+ years to form
Natural tree hollows develop over decades. Once a hollow-bearing tree is lost, it can't be replaced in a human lifetime. Nest boxes fill the gap — but we need data to do it well.
Data is scattered and lost
Councils, community groups, researchers, and backyard enthusiasts all install nest boxes — but the data stays in spreadsheets, field notebooks, or nowhere at all. No one can learn from it.
We don't know what works
What box design works for which species? How long do they last? What orientation is best? How do host trees react? Without aggregated, long-term data, we're guessing.
One national dataset. Built by everyone.
Room With a View uses ProofSafe to create a single, searchable, long-term dataset of nest boxes and tree hollows across Australia.
Record from the field
Use the free ProofSafe app to log nest box and hollow details — species, dimensions, aspect, height, host tree, GPS location, photos.
Works offline
Deep in the bush with no signal? No problem. The app works fully offline and syncs everything when you're back in range.
Come back in 1 year or 10
Navigate back to the exact tree using GPS. Record new observations — occupancy, condition, damage, species changes. Build a long-term picture.
Aggregated national data
Every record feeds into a single national dataset. Researchers, councils, and PhD candidates get access to a massive, broad evidence base.
Sensitive data protection
Sensitive species or locations? Obfuscation features let you protect exact locations and species data while still contributing to the broader dataset.
Map everything
View all nest boxes and hollows on a map. See patterns, identify gaps, plan new installations, and navigate to any recorded location.
For everyone who cares
This is open citizen science. Anyone can contribute. The more people recording, the better the dataset.
What you record
Simple, structured data that adds up over time.
Box or hollow details
Type, design, material, dimensions, entrance size, aspect, height, installation date. For natural hollows: cavity type, opening size, depth.
Host tree data
Species, DBH, health, structure. Track how the tree responds to the installation over time.
Occupancy & species
What moved in? What moved out? Breeding activity, competition between species, seasonal patterns. The data that drives real research.
Photos & evidence
Capture photos of boxes, hollows, occupants, and conditions. Annotate with markup. All timestamped and GPS-tagged.
GPS location
Every record pinned to an exact location. Navigate back to any tree, any time. View installations on a map across your area or the whole country.
Condition & maintenance
Damage, weathering, repairs needed. Track how long different designs last in different environments. Real data for real improvements.
Data that grows more valuable every year
A nest box recorded today becomes a data point. Revisited in a year, it becomes a trend. In ten years, it's part of a dataset that can drive real conservation outcomes.
Room With a View isn't just about recording — it's about building something that researchers, councils, and environmental groups can use to make better decisions for hollow-dependent species for decades to come.
- Drive innovation in nest box design and placement
- Understand which species use which box types
- Track long-term durability of materials and designs
- Measure real outcomes for endangered species
- Provide evidence for funding and policy decisions
- Support PhD research with a broad, aggregated dataset
100% free. For everyone. Forever.
Room With a View is a citizen science initiative. ProofSafe provides the app and platform at no cost. No subscriptions, no usage fees, no paywalls. Record one box or a thousand — it's free because the data belongs to everyone.
How to get started
Three steps. Five minutes. You're contributing to national research.
1. Get the app
Download ProofSafe on iOS or Android. It's free. Register and you'll have access to the Room With a View forms straight away.
2. Record what you see
Walk up to a nest box or hollow. Open the form, fill in the details, snap some photos. The GPS does the rest. Works offline.
3. Upload & contribute
When you have signal, the data syncs to the national database automatically. Your record is now part of something bigger.