Bunnings worker inspires with 'amazing' $10 garden idea amid Aussie backyard trend
More and more Aussies are doing their bit to help local wildlife flourish in their backyards, and one Bunnings worker has come up with an ingenious way to provide shelter for possums on a budget of only $10. Marita Ekengard told Yahoo News her garden feature was easy to make and offered big benefits to the native animals.
While watching a wildlife rescue documentary, the Sydney resident explained she saw a coconut liner — a common gauze used in gardening — and thought "it would be perfect for possums". When she later spotted that Bunnings was selling some, she bought two, alongside hanging baskets and cable ties, and got to work making the makeshift shelter.
"I have bought possum houses before but they're made of wood and are quite heavy. Also they are very expensive and tricky to attach to the tree, so this one is very light and much easier to put up," she said.
Marita covered the inside of the hanging baskets with the coconut liner before attaching the two at their bases, making sure to cut out a "little door" as an entry point. She explained the process of assembling the garden feature took her only twenty minutes and anyone could do it. She now has a resident possum who has "moved in" after only two weeks of her hanging up the shelter.
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A number of possum species are listed as threatened under Australian environmental laws, with land clearing during development work destroying much of their habitat. As more begin to wander urbanised land, small shelters like this can help them adapt to environmental changes and survive.
"I love wildlife and thought if I share this, more people can make possum houses," Marita said. And she was right – Aussies loved the idea.
"That's amazing! Well done," one Aussie wrote, while many others explained they have made something similar using plastic pots or paper bark to further weatherproof it.
Across Australia, some 300 vertebrate species rely on tree hollows – whether they be natural or homemade. It's not just birds and possums, but sugar gliders and microbats that also need the nesting space. The vital hollows are used for shelter, nesting sites and rearing of young as well as just keeping cool on hot days and warm on cold days.
A growing number of Australians are taking it upon themselves to fashion a makeshift home for native animals and birdlife in their garden space. A public Facebook group called Nest Box Tales has more than 27,000 members where people share their efforts and sheer delight at providing the wildlife housing. An accompanying website has a raft of tips, free booklets and designs for various nest boxes.
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