Monday March 28th until Sunday 3rd April 2016 is the Leadbeater’s Possum awareness week . It’s a time for learning and sharing about this precious endangered species.
The tiny Leadbeater’s Possum was presumed extinct by 1960, simply because none had been seen for 50 years. Then, in 1961, a single possum was rediscovered by naturalist Eric Wilkinson near Marysville, 90 minutes east of Melbourne. That’s long way from it’s original habitat in Gippsland! In 1968 it was made the official faunal emblem of Victoria. Also known as Fairy Possum, the Leadbeater’s Possum is a tiny, nocturnal creature with large eyes and a long tail measuring around 10 to 15cm in length. It requires old growth eucalypt trees with established hollows for its home. So, this Leadbeater’s Possum Awareness Week, we’ve come up with some ways you can help!
How you can help them:
- Use ethically sourced paper that isn’t made from the trees these guys need to live in!
- Support the Great Forest National Park proposal – A parks system that protects the Mountain Ash forests of the Central Highlands, and therefore protects the LBP’s.
- Visit them in their nocturnal house at Healesville Sanctuary to learn more and see them in person!
- Buy some Donation Soap from us – Profits go to the Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum inc. who are a team of volunteers working hard at preserving and protecting our little furry friends. You can also join them to help out on one of their projects.
Happy Leadbeater’s Possum awareness week!
