“So simple: Ingenious trick to save animals in fire-ravaged areas
A conservation scientist has shared her innovative “water foundation” design to bushfire ravaged communities so they can save their local wildlife.
“People are really wanting to do something. Now they can contribute, in a practical way,” Dr Kath Tuft told news.com.au.
Dr Tuft is a general manager at Arid Recovery, a wildlife reserve based in South Australia that comes up with ideas that could help save the lives of threatened species.
Anyone wanting to help wildlife after bushfires - here's a simple cheap design for a 'water fountain'. Can be made from hardware store stuff. They limit evaporation, lasting 2 weeks in 40+ degrees here and making a real difference for our drought affected animals. #AustraliaFires pic.twitter.com/5WZXyqDYG5
— Arid Recovery (@AridRecovery) January 5, 2020
The organisation’s most recent invention, which she calls the water fountain, provides animals with water in an otherwise uninhabitable area.
The fountain is made from a tube which is sealed on both ends, with the water inside held by a vacuum. Water only drops down if an animal drinks from it or it evaporates from the spout.
Dr Tuft’s original design can hold 37L of water and lasts up to two weeks between refills, even in 40+ degree heat.
The materials used to create the fountain are readily available at hardware stores across the country, and the cost for one is less than $30.
“I wouldn’t call myself a handy woman but I made it pretty easily,” said Dr Tuft.
Around half a billion animals have died since September from the fires. Now, one of the biggest threats surviving wildlife face is the lack of drinking water.