Dr Alexandra Carthey from the Macquire University in Sydney, Australia, has created a biodegradable habitat for ground dwellers after wildfires.
Sydney, Australia (14 December 2021) – Dr Alexandra Carthey from Macquarie University has created an innovative biodegradable habitat to offer shelter to various wild animals and creatures after wildfires. This concept is fantastic for regions that experience seasonal and uncontrolled wildfires.
The biodegradable structures are made from flat-packed cardboard. They have a variety of holes to offer shelter for different animals.
She found that of all the creatures affected by wildfires, the ground dwellers suffered most from the habitat loss.
The shelter is a six-sided pyramid, 60cm in height and made from cardboard. They come in an easy-to-assemble flat pack that can be quickly built and placed in an area that needs it. Each habitat has around 150 holes.
Dr Carthey’s theory is that ground dwellers are more at risk from exposure and preditors in a post-fire scenario. Having a space to escape to that will disappear as the wilds regrow is the perfect option to keep some of the animals safe.
She was inspired to make the habitats after Australia’s 2019/2020 fire season. The fire ravaged more than 12 million hectares in eastern Australia.
“There is some thinking that more animals might die in the post-fire period from predators and exposure than during the fires.
“Pods like these have a huge potential to make a difference.” – Dr Alexandra Carthey
Dr Carthey says that small ground dwellers are prone to being hunted by predators and that their main source of protection is the cover they find in the wild.
“They are hardwired to seek the safety of cover. And if you provide it, they will find it. After a bushfire, the thick grasses, leafy bushes, dropped bark, and leaf litter that small critters normally hide under have been burnt away. For the predator, it’s like suddenly spotting your prey across a mown grass lawn.”
While environmentalists have always placed make-shift shelters in the form of logs and chicken wire structures, the materials are a lot to carry from place to place.
“It’s not anticipated that the animals will seek cover and hide until the coast is clear,” says Carthey. “We suspect the animals will use the pods more as an escape hatch, that they will run in and out the other side and into another pod, using the network of cover to thwart the predator.
“The pods will be obstacles that block the predator’s line of vision and slows them down – giving the prey a better chance of getting away.”
The team have placed 200 biodegradable habitats, with a further 100 being added to the trail in the Marramarra National Park.
This simple yet innovative idea has great potential.
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