24 Jul 2020
North Ainslie Primary School has created new safe and cosy homes for some local possums by installing possum houses in trees around the school.
As part of the ACT Government’s $115 million public school infrastructure upgrade program, North Ainslie underwent a roof replacement, displacing the possum population that was living in the roof.
“As the roof was replaced, they kept trying to get back in, but the new roof is possum proof and would actually have trapped them inside. The possums also tried to keep warm and safe at the bottom of downpipes around the school,” said Tania Collis, the school principal.
To help the possums, Project Coordination, who were installing the new roofing, oversaw the installation of six possum houses around the school.
A class of year 1 and 2 students have been learning about the possums and their habitats as they study ecosystems. Students have been creating drawings, writing letters and reading books about possums and the safety of the possum homes.
“They moved to the drains because they were soft and cosy places. They needed a new home. Possum boxes are safer than drains and now we have some possum boxes around the school,” said year 2 student Isla, reading from a letter she had written about the safety of the new homes.