Crocheting birds nests for wildlife rescue

My creative obsession is crocheting birds nests. It all started back in the winter of 2019-2020 when wildfires tore through large regions of Australia. The fires caused widespread devastation to wildlife and the wildlife rescue centres in Australia were filled to capacity and beyond with creatures in need of care. A call went out around the world to crafters to make the various items they needed in order to care for the animal victims of the fires.

I started off making joey sacks - rounded pillowcase type structures made of cotton and polycotton. I enlisted my partner to help with the cutting and ironing whilst I operated the sewing machine.

The rescues were also asking for crocheted birds nests. I had no idea how to crochet, but I felt sure that I could learn how to make them from Youtube. I was not disappointed. Youtube has a fine array of instruction videos that will teach the most clueless of beginner crocheter to make a birds nest. Having said that, I unpicked my first attempt and re-did it about 20 times before I got the hang of it!

A new obsession was born and I took to crocheting birds nests whilst watching TV each day - and any other occasion that I could fit a bit of crochet into. I decided to make them very eco-friendly by getting the yarn from a charity shop. Our local hospice has a special charity shop that just carries stock relating to crafting. They have large plastic bins full of yarn leftovers. So I rummage through them and pick out anything that suits my birds nests. The yarn has to be plain, with no metal threads, sequins, fluffy bits or anything else that could snag a delicate creature claw. I also prefer to use a combination of white yarn and pastel yarn.

A life-long goth, I never imagined I would be searching for pastel anything! But there we have it. I am now a pastel yarn hunter!

I had a brief break from birds nests crochet to make PPE for local hospitals when the Covid lockdown hit and our care staff and medical staff did not have the protective equipment they needed. A local army of crafters set to work turning rolls of polythene into gowns for the hospital and care home workers. I can't say I was very good at this, but I did my best with it! I also crocheted a load of ear protectors which are little crochet strips with buttons either end that people can use to put their mask elastics round. They are helpful for people like doctors and nurses who have to wear the masks all day and who otherwise develop sores behind their ears.

Once the PPE crisis was over, I was able to return to birds nest crocheting. The Australia crisis no longer required the nests, so I phoned my local wildlife rescue and asked if they would like some nests. They were delighted! The lady who had previously made the nests for them had died and they didn't know where they could get more from. So my offer was very welcome.

I was absolutely delighted when they shared photos on Facebook that showed baby birds in the nests I had crocheted! I had been thinking about the birds that might be in them one day whilst I made them, so it was truly touching to see photos of them.

Crocheting birds nests is very easy. Just watch the Youtube videos and you will soon learn. It is a cheap and simple hobby that anyone could do and it is a way that anyone can make a positive difference in the world. There are wildlife rescues all over the UK and many other countries, all of which will be delighted to receive nests like this. And there are Facebook groups that co-ordinate crafting efforts for animal rescues and various human appeals too.

Other appeals I have got involved with have been crocheting poppies for Remembrance Sunday and crocheting hats for premature or "rainbow" babies. In the case of the premature babies, parents often arrive at hospital without any clothes for their baby because the situation has arisen sooner than expected. So the hospital likes to have clothing ready for these premature babies. A "rainbow" baby is one that is not born alive. It is a kindness to the parents to be able to wrap them in attractive baby clothes so that the experience of holding their permanently sleeping baby is gentler on them.

I did my best with the baby clothes, but I think it will take a better crocheter and knitter than me! I have therefore gone back to making birds nests at the moment.

I would encourage anyone with the slightest talent or interest in crafting to see what they can do to help others. It can turn the most frustrating of days into one in which you know you have helped someone and made the world a kinder place.