After seeing the devastation of the recent bushfires and looking for opportunities to build our community base skills, the team at our Willow Day Program saw on Facebook the groups that were coming together to assist displaced wildlife. We connected with the Wildlife Stations Shoalhaven group who are a group of caring people who have come together in a time of crisis to aid the recovery of the native wildlife in the Shoalhaven. Located at Berry Shed, Queens St Berry they welcome anyone to come and assist in their efforts. Our group were shown the operation, where the fruit was stored and how to make the fruit garlands. They were shown the water stations that are built and taken out to the bush so the animals are able to drink out in the fire affected areas. The participants were very active in asking questions and the volunteers were fabulous in answering those questions. Hopefully we can go back down and help again.
Amongst the volunteers assisting with this effort is our own Samantha Skarratts who has connected with the Wildlife Water Station Group operating in Tapitallee/ Budgong. In groups the volunteers set up new stations and return to other stations already set up to replenish them or move them to different areas if they haven’t been visited. Whilst the scene is one of devastation, already there are new signs of life as green shoots are now visible on the ground and trees in some areas and evidence of animal activity including birds, lizards, insects, kangaroos and wombats. “It looks so different now that the rain has washed the ash away, trees have shed their blackened bark and fresh shoots of grasses and emerging leaves are coming through.”
