How these handmade koala earrings can help save wildlife

A Sunshine Coast artist has joined the overwhelming number of everyday Aussies doing what they can to help as devastating fires consume the country.

Ursula Bates has been overwhelmed with support since she began making glass koala earrings to help support WIRES animal rescue. Photo: John McCutcheon / Sunshine Coast Daily

AS DEVASTATING fires consume the country, everyday Australians are banding together to do what they can to help.

Nambour glass bead maker Ursula Bates said seeing others organise fundraisers and donation drives inspired her to make koala earrings in a bid to raise funds for the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service.

"I saw a post (online) of my friends daughter who is a 11 and she was making wraps for injured animals, and I figured if she could do something, surely I could do something and that's when I decided to go to the studio and see if I could make something that was relevant," Mrs Bates said.

"It's totally devastating what's happening to this beautiful country and its unique wildlife.

"Koalas and other animals don't have home insurance - they can't rebuild.

"It's up to us to mend the damage and I hope the money can help in some way shape or form."

Mrs Bates said the koala felt like an appropriate choice for the earnings.

"It is one of the national treasures and it's the one that is the most engendered, even before we had the fires, and now they are saying they are not sure how much longer we are going to have koalas in the wild, so I think it's the one that sticks out," she said.

The Little Glass House owner said she wasn't expecting her idea to take off, but she's now received more than 60 orders for the earrings.

"I really wasn't expecting the amount of responses that I've had which is really lovely," Mrs Bates said.

"I just thought it would be a handful of people, but I've had a lot of people that aren't on my Facebook page come and ask for some, so the word's getting out there rapidly, the only problem is it's only me.

"I'm only a one-man band here so I decided to cap it and reach out to other bead makers in Australia to see if they can get involved."

Despite the huge workload, Mrs Bates said she was happy to help in any way.

"It's lovely, I mean I'm not Pink or the other celebrities out there that are doing it, I'm just little old me and the amount might look insignificant, but every little bit helps," she said.

The handmade earrings cost $35 plus $2.20 postage and 100 per cent of the proceeds will go to WIRES Wildlife Rescue.

For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/2SZl7Wv.

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