As devastating bushfires continue to ravage the country of Australia, knitters from all around the world have joined forces to do their part to help all the animals who have been affected by the blazes.
According to CNN , volunteers with the Brisbane-based organization Animal Rescue Craft Guild are putting their crafting skills to work to sew mittens, joey pouches, and other homemade goods for all the injured and displaced wildlife.
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The guild, which operates across five states in Australia, recently put out a call on Facebook asking for “crafters, knitters, and sewists.”
The post asked for everything from pouches for joey kangaroos to mittens for koalas whose paws have been singed in the flames.
“We’re posting and creating thousands of items every week, entire colonies of bats and hundreds of kangaroos, koalas and every possible animal need our help,” the organization wrote.
In no time at all, the organization’s Facebook page became flooded with posts from people all over the globe.
According to CNN , the guild’s Facebook page had about 1,000 members in the middle of 2019. As of January 8, over 156,000 people have joined the group.
Volunteers are given templates for their homemade creations and have no limit on how many items they can make and send to the organization, which are then donated to the rescue centers that take the injured animals in.
The guild’s Facebook page has been transformed into a community of knitters united through a worthy cause.
Members share tips, advice, and answer each other’s question almost as soon as they are posted.
They’re also eager to show photos showing the progress of their own creations, as well as proud pictures of the finished products before they’re shipped off to Australia.
There are some guidelines that crafters must follow when creating their beautiful, handmade products.
Avalon Llewellyn, volunteer and group administrator, told CNN that joey pouches and bat wraps must be hand sewn, bird nests can be crocheted but must follow the provided templates, and products should be made with cotton or line. In fact, the softer, the better.
“Anything that can aid in the rehab of our wildlife,” Llewellyn said.
Experts estimate that over one billion animals have been killed in the devastating fires since they began in September.
Koalas in particular have been hit the hardest, with some ecologists estimating nearly a third of all koalas in New South Wales have been killed.
Kangaroo populations have also taken a tremendous hit, making the demand for kangaroo pouches one of the highest, along with bat wraps and crocheted nests for displaced birds.
Llewellyn said the organization will take as many products as crafters can make.
She revealed the wide variety of people offering their time and skills to help Australia’s wildlife, including prison groups, school children, and retirement home residents. Truly, this worldwide effort is showing how much we can all accomplish when we all work together.
“It’s bringing together isolated members of the community, repurposing old sheets and linen, and really giving purpose to people who feel helpless,” Llewellyn said.
Click here to donate to RSPCA NWS’ bushfire relief fund.
