Flat-Packed Cardboard Habitats Create Homes For Wildlife Displaced By Wildfires
Image by Alexandra Carthey / Lighthouse and featured with permission
Dr Alexandra Carthey at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, might have just invented a tool to help small critters displaced by wildfires have a fighting chance at survival.
The habitat pods, which are made of biodegradable cardboard, act as safe houses for animals such as possums, bandicoots, bush rats, and even reptiles during dangerous situations.
Carthey was inspired to create a solution when she saw exposed wildlife being hunted by predators following the Black Summer bushfires in 2019.
According to Macquarie University’s The Lighthouse publication, she found that while flying creatures, including bats, bees, and birds, have many innovative “nest boxes” catered to them, ground-dwellers didn’t have the same means of protection.
Hence, she created the mini shelters, which are pyramids measuring 60 cm (23.6 inches) per side and 60 cm high, and come in an easy-to-assemble flat pack that can be set up in just seconds.
Image by Alexandra Carthey / Lighthouse and featured with permission
Inside the pyramid structure are three triangles that meet at an axis in the middle, creating a “honeycomb” shape that allows enough space for larger creatures, as well as tinier nooks for smaller animals and creepy-crawlies.
Throughout the shelter are holes (about 150 per pod) to let light in. This enables the area’s foliage to continue growing and eventually reclaim the site as the cardboard biodegrades in the sun.
The scientist hopes her creation will ensure less animals are killed in the blaze or are picked off by predators after. In the 2019 episode, three billion vertebrate creatures were believed to have perished in the blazes, though post-fire numbers have yet to be confirmed.
“There is some thinking that more animals might die in the post-fire period from predators and exposure than during the fires,” said Carthey.
“Pods like these have a huge potential to make a difference.”
Image by Alexandra Carthey / Lighthouse and featured with permission
[via Macquarie University, images featured with permission]
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