Although Revelstoke is more than 13,000 km away from Australia, one local is using a needle and thread to help the country鈥檚 wildlife.
So far, more than 100,000 sq km has burned this fire season in Australia, which is roughly the size of Iceland. Some 27 people have been killed, including four firefighters. The Australian government is calling it the worst season on record.
| Many homes have been lost. (Pixabay) |
The country is experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades and recent heatwaves have pushed the thermometer well beyond 40 degrees Celsius.
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
University of Sydney ecologist Chris Dickman, quoted in this week, estimates that more than a billion animals have been killed thus far.
Nevertheless, people from around the world are donating money and supplies to help the country.
Revelstoke local Jasmine Brackenbury grew up on a farm in Australia. Her mother was always taking in animals, such as injured owls.
鈥淚t鈥檚 normal for Australians to be surrounded by animals,鈥� she said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a huge part of our culture.鈥�
When Brackenbury first heard about the fires back home, she wept a lot.
鈥淔or the land and the people,鈥� said Brackenbury.
And so, she asked herself, 鈥淲hat can I do to help?鈥�
One day, she came across a post on Instagram, asking for joey pouch donations. Joey pouches are used to hold baby kangaroos, called joeys, and other marsupials like a mother鈥檚 pouch.
Since Brackenbury runs her own knitting business in Revelstoke called Ocean Peak Designs, making pouches seemed like a natural fit.
So far, Brackenbury has sewn 18 liners and 8 outer pouches. She using scrap fabric from making her daughter鈥檚 clothes.
Once she has a shipment of pouches ready to go, she鈥檒l send them to 91大黄鸭, where the Canadian Animal Rescue Craft Guild will forward it onto Australia.
Brackenbury said in situations where we鈥檙e watching a disaster unfold on the other side of the world, we often feel helpless.
鈥淗owever, there鈥檚 lots we can do, even if it feels like we can鈥檛,鈥� she said.
鈥淎nd if you can鈥檛 donate money, maybe you can donate time.鈥�
Brackenbury is also selling for her beanies and toques and donating 100 per cent of the money to help Australian fire fighters and wildlife.
She also posted her intentions on Facebook, hoping to inspire others. She said various Revelstokians have reached out, wanting to help and make pouches.
鈥淩evelstoke is a maker community.鈥�
liam.harrap@revelstokereview.com
Like us on and follow us on .
