Children build raccoon nesting boxes - a contribution to nature conservation!

Children build raccoon nesting boxes - a contribution to nature conservation!

The small wooden construction artists of the Flysteilza Daycare center have recently dared to do a very practical project: they built nesting boxes for Meisen, which were not only put together in a flash, but are also particularly raccoon -safe. At the end of June 2025, the proud day care center handed over its results to Dennis Glanz, the district forester of the Lower Saxony State Forest, which was on site with 20 kits. These kits were kindly made available by the "good forest foundation", which is intensively committed to ecological forestry and forest natural protection. The Wolfenbüttel forestry office received a total of 100 such kits that will now make the surroundings a little bit more ecological reveals Cremlingen-online.de .

An exciting experience for the children: Under the guidance of their educators, the various wooden panels were held together, nails were hammered in and screwed in. "There was a bit confused at the first nesting box, but then the children really showed a good knack," recalls Sebastian Lüssen. Together, after initial difficulties, a true "building fun atmosphere" occurred. Glone took the time to show the children how the fully assembled nesting boxes are then attached to trees. Thus three of the built boxes were left at their future location in the daycare center, while 17 of the nesting boxes are now being hung in the gable, a forest area between Parsau and Rühen.

### raccoons - the dreaded nestrust

In Germany, raccoons are an ever increasing problem when it comes to bird's fold boxes. With their invasive manner, they endanger the breeding grounds of many local bird species. The population varies and is estimated at over 1.5 million, which makes the development of practical protection devices all the more urgent. Therefore, the biological station Gütersloh/Bielefeld pursues a project that specifically deals with the topic reports Stöckmann Stiftung . Various protective measures are to be checked in order to protect the nesting boxes from the curious noses of the raccoons.

The results of the investigations since 2019 show that there was only a successful testing attempt on a nesting box through a raccoon. In addition to a detailed observation of the raccoons, which is currently being carried out with wild cameras, it is also analyzed which techniques the animals develop in order to overcome protective devices. The aim is to create innovative solutions such as wire constructions that are supposed to make nesting for birds more secure, since raccoons threaten colonie and cave-brooding species shown .

### An important contribution to nature

Everyone involved in this project agrees: The construction project in the Flight Mushroom Kita was not only fun, but is also a valuable contribution to nature conservation. Kita director Lisa Perner emphasizes how much the children enjoyed trying out their craftsmanship and at the same time doing something good for nature. Such activities not only strengthen the environmental awareness of the youngest, but are also an appeal to actively work for the protection of our domestic wildlife.