As well as being better for the environment, it has enabled the 12 year-old to donate $150 to Dutch Thunder Wildlife Rescue’s Wildlife Signage Campaign.
Dutch Thunder’s owner and coordinator Kylee Donkers said Fynn has made donations to the organisation before.
“He is so excited,” she said.
“He told me ‘I’m happy to do anything to help the animals’ - he’s a great kid, and this wasn’t his first donation towards helping the native animals we care for.”
Dutch Thunder Wildlife Rescue, at Koonoomoo, is home to one of Victoria’s largest koala population.
It also cares for other threatened and endangered species such as platypus, squirrel gliders, lace monitors, flying foxes, grey goshawks, and swift parrots.
Kylee said the area was also a “hot zone” for wildlife/vehicle collisions, with three sections being monitored by the volunteers for data collection.
“Zone three, known as the Toc Bends, has more than 150 road signs in the 4km stretch, but only two warnings about wildlife,” she said.
“There are a number of areas within the Moira Shire and surrounding areas that we receive high numbers of calls for, not only koalas but all types of wildlife that are being hit on the roads, crossing roads and using the sides of roads to live and feed.”
Kylee and her team are hoping to raise funds for a new campaign with extensive signage warning motorists to be aware of not just koalas, but all local species.
Back in February 2023, Dutch Thunder posted on their social media regarding a number of koalas that were hit and killed on a stretch of road through Koonoomoo.
This post got a lot of attention and the group has been granted permission to install new wildlife signage along this treacherous stretch of road on a 12 month trial basis.
It is hoped this will make people more aware of the wildlife moving in this area at certain times of the year and reduce wildlife deaths overall.
“The orange diamond signs are not overly helpful,” Kylee said.
“The idea is that having signs that change regularly makes people notice them more, which in turn makes them more aware of what they may encounter on our roads.
“We’d also be looking at temporary/movable signs. More than 80 per cent of the koala roadkill occurs in spring and summer, in busy tourist season and koala breeding season, and we may also need them in extreme weather events such as flood, heat and fire events.”
Kylee said she believes education is the key to preserving the threatened and endangered species, and hopes to also gather the funds to run hands-on workshops for people interested in learning basic rescue techniques and what to do if they see an animal in need of assistance.
As there is no funding available for this signage trial, Dutch Thunder is having to cover the costs of the signs and the brackets to fix them to the poles.
They have been lucky enough to have the Moira Shire Council, The Sign Society and Brad Campbell from BMC Welding on board to assist with the coats associated with the campaign, but appreciate donations like Fynn’s even more with a project like this to fund.
If you or your business would like to contribute to the project, you can donate via direct deposit to Dutch Thunder Wildlife, BSB: 633-000, ACC: 151069515. Place the word ‘SIGNS’ in the reference section.
Dutch Thunder Wildlife Rescue is a 24-hour emergency wildlife rescue service and licensed shelter run by one full-time, and three part-time/casual volunteers. It can be contacted on 0417 560 910.
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