Water Corporation thinking outside the box

Water Corporation has teamed up with the Leschenault Men’s Shed in Australind to help conserve native animals around Beela Dam near the town of Brunswick.

The Men’s Shed answered the call for help from Water Corporation to build 30 habitat boxes suitable for possums, birds and micro bats, and other inhabitants in the Beela Dam catchment area.

Water Corporation South West Regional Manager John Janssen, said the members of the Men’s Shed should be commended on their fantastic volunteer work.

“Thanks to the Leschenault Men’s Shed members, these habitat boxes will provide homes for animals seeking refuge around the Beela Dam catchment,” Mr Janssen said.

The boxes were constructed from marine ply which will ensure they can withstand the weather conditions, and will be fixed to trees with wire and hose to make sure they don’t damage the trees.

The Beela Dam catchment is home to both brush and ring tail possums and the brush tail phascogale which are dependent on hollow trees for nesting. 

“The habitat boxes will support the conservation work the Leschenault Catchment Council, in partnership with Water Corporation, has been doing at the dam. The LCC has been monitoring feral animals, controlling weeds and revegetating the area.”

The conservation and restoration work at Beela Dam forms part of the Water Corporation’s Liveability and Partnership Program in the south west which aims to protect and restore the environments around water catchments.

Built in 1938, Beela Dam supplied drinking water to Brunswick until  2004 when the town was connected to the Australind water scheme. The dam and its catchment area continue to be carefully managed by Water Corporation.