New possum boxes made by local youth through the YMCA and the Green Book Project have been given to wildlife carers in the region to help rescued possums transition back to the wild.
The idea for the possum boxes was derived from a youth leadership and project facilitation conference as part of the Green Book Project, where youth raised concerns around building habitats for our native animals.
With further insight from Queensland Wildlife Carers, it was decided that possum boxes would be of great help.
The youth of YMCA were involved to build the possum boxes, with assistance from the Moore Park Beach Men’s shed.
President of Queensland Wildlife Careers & Volunteers, Christine Wynne, explained that the boxes allowed for possums to have a safe environment to return to the wild and gain their independence.
“The boxes keep the possums protected from the weather and predators such as carpet pythons as well as give them somewhere nice and warm to sleep, especially in the cooler months and when they’ve got young, they can protect them as well,” she said.
“With possums being the future, it is vital that we look after these animals, as we have a lot of beautiful and unique animals in Australia that we are at risk of losing if we don’t look after them.”
Currently, when a possum is rescued, they stay in a basket until they are around five months old and then they move into a possum box to allow them the opportunity to learn to be independent.
Using the soft release technique, these possums are gradually introduced to their new environment and are given time to familiarise themselves and transition to their new home.
The Bundaberg Region is one of just 16 locations throughout Australia selected to deliver the Green Book Project to connect youth with the environment.
Green Book is about connecting communities, taking environmental action, learning, and making change for a brighter future.
It seeks to encourage youth to connect with their local, natural environment and to build and strengthen local communities.
You can find out more about the Green Book Project here.
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