Philly woman crochets bird nests to help wildlife in the Australian fires

Citizen of the Week: Lauren Helge

The Roxborough woman wanted to help animals affected past the Australian fires. And then she turned to what she often does when she wants to give to others: crocheting

Jan. 13, 2020

The videos of animals whose lives have been impacted by Australia's bushfires are hard to forget. Koalas soak their singed paws in water at rescue centers. Kangaroos hop away with fume at their feet, as flames engulf their habitats.

"It bankrupt my heart," says Roxborough resident Lauren Helge, who viewed the videos on social media and the news and wanted to help the animals. "[The bushfires] destroyed so much of the wildlife'due south habitats, especially the koalas."

Helge began searching for ways to donate money to assist the animals, but felt that what she could afford to financially contribute would be "a drop in the bucket compared to what they needed."

Then a cousin shared with her a Facebook group called Rescue Craft Co. that was creating items to help the injured animals. That Helge knew she could do.

Since joining Rescue Craft Co. last Sunday, Helge has crocheted ii nests for birds whose homes may have been damaged past the fires, and plans to keep making them during her nights off from her job as an assembly worker at Gwynedd Manufacturing. Each nest takes several hours to consummate. "You have to keep the stitches very tight, and then no little bird feet get stuck," she says.

Helge, who is 28, has always loved animals. Originally from Texas, her pets growing up included a fire-bellied toad named Pumpkin. Currently, she has iii rescue cats and plans to foster more than in the time to come. She hopes to ane solar day get a wildlife rehabilitator so that she can assistance animals full time."When I was a child my favorite show was the Crocodile Hunter and all kinds of veterinarian shows on Fauna Planet like The Incredible Dr. Pol," she notes.

Helge taught herself to crochet and loom knit, at first then she could make gifts for friends and family unit. "Recently I've been more focused on using my crafting skills for charity," she says. She uses her expertise to make washcloths for women's homeless shelters in Philadelphia, and once she's done crocheting for the animals in Commonwealth of australia, she plans to start making blankets for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Intendance Unit through the charity Knots of Dearest.

So far, 20 people and half a billion animals accept lost their lives in Commonwealth of australia's bushfires, which take ravaged the state for months; another half a billion animals have been affected in some way. For some species, like the mouse-sized dunnart, this means they're facing extinction.

Animals that have survived the fires have severe burns and many are in the intendance of rescue groups. Morgan Leigh, who lives in a coastal town in Australia, saw many of the viral videos of kangaroos and koalas whose fur was singed and whose skin suffered burns during the fires. The images kept her up at night.

Leigh, who owns a clothing company and sews for a living, started making pouches and koala mittens; eventually, several friends joined her and later a local radio station interviewed her, she was flooded with emails from people asking how they could assistance. That'south when she created the Rescue Arts and crafts Co. Facebook page.

"It'due south actually eye warming to see all these strangers from all over the state and other countries likewise connecting all to help these poor injured animals out," she says.

"Information technology was incredible the response!" Leigh says. "It was so incredibly heartwarming and overwhelming. It made us all experience that collectively nosotros could help in a situation that felt so out of our command."

Rescue Craft Co. grew quickly, amassing 1,000 followers in 30 minutes. Currently, it has over 65,000 members, including Helge. The group makes nests, pouches for joeys, koala mittens, and bat wraps for the animals in need. They've also inspired spin-off groups in other countries, chosen Canadian Beast Rescue Gild and United kingdom Crafters for Commonwealth of australia Animal Rescue Endeavour.

Since finding Rescue Craft Co., Helge has tried to spread the word, noting that the organization yet needs more than aid. "If you're crafty, especially adept at sewing, then join Rescue Craft Co.," she says. "Even if you aren't, people are volunteering to send others money or supplies so they can produce the items needed, or offering to pay for shipping. Information technology'southward actually heart warming to see all these strangers from all over the state and other countries as well connecting all to help these poor injured animals out."

Helge says giving back locally is also important to her—she and her fiancé regularly donate claret at the local American Red Cantankerous, and she encourages friends to get involved and volunteer when they can—even if information technology's something small.

For her, it helps to counter the anger and hate she sees in the world. "We need people to reach out to one another," she says. "I recollect the best way we tin live our lives to our fullest potential is to help those effectually us. It's the best feeling in the globe when I can make some else'due south mean solar day fifty-fifty in small-scale ways like paying for the person behind me at Starbucks, altruistic canned appurtenances to food banks."

Header images courtesy Lauren Hegle.

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Source: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/lauren-helge-helps-wildlife-australian-fires/

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