Wildlife rescue centers in Australia and the animals they’ve taken in have found some unlikely allies.
Caring for injured Australian fauna requires a very specific supply list, which includes things like marsupial sleeping pouches and mitts to protect burnt paws. These can’t be made out of just anything. It has to be soft, breathable 100% cotton fabric – exactly the type of material that quilters are experts at working with.
Jeltje van Essen, owner of Quilt Shop 100 Rozen in Deventer, Netherlands, realized this and recruited a group of volunteers to sew for wildlife centers overwhelmed by Australia’s intense fire season.
I learned about their efforts through Pauline Rogers, who comes all the way from Australia to have a booth at the Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival in Phoenix.
Jeltje’s quilt shop crew in The Netherlands started by making mittens for injured koalas, using cheery fabrics to make their carers smile. They have since moved on to other projects, like sewing wraps for rolling up recovering bats into cozy little fabric burritos (bat-ritos?) that make them feel like they’re snug inside their mothers’ wings.
The Dutch quilt shop volunteers certainly weren’t the only crafters to pick up their needles to help, however.
Donations of handmade items have been pouring in to the Rescue Craft Co. (RCC), based in New South Wales, which has been sharing patterns and coordinating shipments from around the world.
In fact, the reason the Netherlands quilt shop group switched projects is because the koalas in Australia are all stocked up on mittens. RCC has actually been so inundated that they’ve asked that people stop sending them.
Instead, they’re requesting veterinary supplies, a select list of crafted items, and monetary contributions to their logistics GoFundMe or other trusted organizations working to help Australia heal.
How to Help Australian Animals (via Rescue Craft Co):
- Contribute to RCC’s GoFundMe.
- Donate to another recommended organization. (Beware of scams!)
- Buy supplies from their Amazon wishlist.
- Craft items from the updated list on RCC’s Facebook page (where you’ll also find shipping addresses and patterns).
