Men’s Shed’s shelter for wildlife

From left, Wild Ones Shelter’s Penny Reeves with Cardinia Men’s Shed members, Theo Reinhardt, Ken Hordern, John Taylor, John Buckley, John Dobson, Roger Barnett and Geoff Fluck.

By Jessica Anstice

Members of the Cardinia Men’s Shed have come together with the desire to help wildlife affected by the East Gippsland bushfires.

After raising more than $1700 from the very generous public for bushfire-affected areas at a barbecue fundraiser, the group of volunteers decided build special wildlife habitat boxes.

“One of our members, John Buckley, had heard of the need for animal and bird habitats after the bushfires,” Cardinia Men’s Shed vice president Roger Barnett explained.

“John was keen to now do something for the wildlife.”

Thanks to Bunnings supplying the Men’s Shed with timber, the volunteers were able to produce 30 wildlife boxes on Monday 11 February.

The sturdy boxes will give possums and birds a home for life, as well as generations to come.

Cardinia Men’s Shed then teamed up with Wild Ones Shelter– a non-profit wildlife shelter based in Kooweerup.

Wildlife shelter operator Penny Reeves has promised to organise the distribution of the boxes around the outskirts of the fire ground.