On Bunbury’s outskirts, the Leschenault Men’s Shed provides a place for men to share skills and support one another.

One of its recent projects has involved building possum box shelters to help conserve the Western Ringtail Possum. It has also served as an outlet for members to have a sense of purpose and companionship. 

Leschenault Men’s Shed president Paul Fonck said, “It’s about having somewhere to go, something meaningful to do and doing it together.”

A 2025 report from The World Health Organisation’s Commission on Social Connection revealed that one in six people worldwide experiences loneliness, and up to one in three older adults face social isolation.

Leschenault Men’s Shed is among a network of over 1300 Men’s Sheds across Australia providing a space for members, who are primarily older adults, to share and foster conversation and connection. 

Leschenault Men’s Shed vice president and member Robert St. Duke said “There is a large focus on mental health. It’s putting men in a great position with camaraderie, giving them extended life. It’s not just stay at home, look at four walls and die. It extends their health. We all ask about one another’s health all the time.”

Mr Fonck added that the shed plays a vital role for many men, offering members a sense of purpose through a second way of life, serving as a healthy outlet as keeping their hands busy helps to clear their minds.

While Men’s Sheds serve as a place to talk, they also make a tangible difference for the environment through the products they create, for example, through making possum boxes.

The Western Ringtail Possum is only found in the South West of Western Australia, right in the backyard of most Leschenault residents. According to the Australian Government’s2025 Action Plan for the Western Ringtail Possum, the species is critically endangered, with an extremely high chance of becoming extinct. 

The Men’s Shed project is an example of community conservation, something that Leschenault Catchment Council also passionately promotes. 

Leschenault Catchment Council is an independent, community-based, not-for-profit organisation focused on environmental protection and education in the region, with a Wildlife for the Future program, as well as a Western Ringtail Possum Tally conducted yearly.

Leschenault Catchment Council’s Biodiversity program manager Katrina Zeehandelaar-Adams said the western ringtail possums have lost around 80% of their initial range and habitat. She added: “Being arboreal, they’re really reliant on trees and continuous canopy to survive.” 

In order to continue work on possum conservation, community efforts and sponsorships are vital. The 2025 Leschenault Ringtail Tally held in partnership with WWF Australia, allowed locals to submit data sheets on possums in their backyard or vicinity. Providing continuous insights into population and behaviour trends, particularly important due to their habitat being so limited, with possums often moving towards backyards and residential areas.    

Possum boxes serve as a safe space in backyards, which often have various threats to possum lives. Mrs Zeehandelaar-Adams said: “They’re so valuable. I think nest boxes and also possum drays are just a fantastic option in urban environments and also in areas where it’s going to take years until traditional or natural tree hollows develop.” 

Both Leschenault Men’s Shed and the Catchment Council projects aim to provide purpose and connection, not only for people but also for wildlife, aligning with the WHO report on Social Connection that revealed the costs of social isolation and loneliness are high, but the benefits of social connection are far-reaching.