6 April 2016

Wyalkatchem Men’s Shed and the local school have teamed up in a bid to help native wildlife.

Students will spend the next two years monitoring which animals use the 16 nest boxes scattered throughout the streets, wildlife reserves, and golf course of Wyalkatchem.

The nest boxes have been built by Men’s Shed members through funding from Wheatbelt NRM.

Shed chairman Peter Lawrence said he was passionate about the next generation helping to preserve the dwindling number of native animals, including Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos, Red-tailed Phascogales, microbats, and owls.

“In some parts of the Wheatbelt, we have less than six percent of original vegetation left, which doesn’t give wildlife many options when it comes to places for breeding,” Peter Lawrence said.

“By building these nesting boxes we’re in some way helping to alleviate the problem.”

To find out about getting involved in the project, contact Rowan Hegglun at Wheatbelt NRM on (08) 9670 3101 or via rhegglun@wheatbeltnrm.org.au

Or visit the website at: www.wheatbeltnrm.org.au

This project is made possible through funding from the Australian Government's National Landcare Programme.

Pictured above is Ross Crute from Wyalkatchen Men's Shed with students from Wyalkatchem District High School and some of the nestboxes they will be monitoring.