A large number of wild animals have died from the many bush fires in Australia, but many more can die. Those who survived, in fact, have nowhere to hide from predators.
For this reason, biodegradable and economical cardboard "habitat capsules" have been created which could provide shelter for these animals.
The cardboard capsules were designed by the doctor Alexandra Carthey of Macquarie University. Each of them takes the shape of a six-sided pyramid (well, a kind of pyramid) 60 cm (23,6 in) high.
A series of holes of different sizes allow small animals such as possums, bandicoots and lizards to access the interior, which is in turn divided into six compartments. The holes in the cardboard walls also allow some sunlight to pass through, encouraging the regrowth of vegetation under the structure.
Cardboard Salvation
Since the pods fold flat, they should be easy to transport. They can be anchored to the ground by placing rocks or sandbags on a “skirt” that runs around their base. Wooden pegs can also serve this purpose.
Dr Carthey believes that rather than building permanent dens, most animals will use these cardboard shelters as a means of escape, perhaps moving from one pod to another. So much the better. This solution will give the animals time to reorganize their lives, and when the vegetation has regrown around them, the cardboard will biodegrade.
Next steps
The plan calls for around 200 cardboard capsules to be distributed and monitored in the North Head Sanctuary, a region of Australia where 62 hectares (153 acres) of bushland had previously been cleared in a controlled burn, to prevent fires from spreading. Motion- and heat-activated wildlife cameras will track creatures using the cardboard structures for a year.
The structures will also be used along with special 3D printed boxes resembling tree hollows, to replace bird nesting sites that have been destroyed by the fires.
