TWO-HUNDRED pairs of hand made koala mittens are on their way to koala hospitals across the state, thanks to the efforts of students at Bathurst High School.
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The mittens, made from 100 per cent cotton, are also fully lined with flannel, will help koalas injured in the recent bushfires, protecting their paws and helping them heal.
Eighty-five students from the school came together for a two-day sewing session in the school's textile and design classrooms.
In fact there were so many students wanting to be part of the effort, teachers were worried how they would accommodate everyone.
Textiles and design teacher Chris Hickey, said she heard there was a need for the koala mittens, and thought it would be a good project for the kids at school.
"I spoke to Ken Barwick about it, I thought I'd get maybe 14 to 16 kids, when they announced it assembly 85 kids signed up," she said.
Mrs Hickey said the project has been very educational for the kids, not only have they designed, cut and sewn the mittens they've also looked at the bigger picture; researching koalas and their habitats, watching videos and researching on line.
"They've been asking a lot of questions about what we are doing, as well as doing their own research on koalas, it's been fantastic."
Mrs Hickey said she was really surprised so many kids got involved, but was delighted they embraced the project.
"I was gob smacked with the result."
With so many kids helping out, Mrs Hickey set a goal of 200 mittens; and said she expects to reach it by Wednesday afternoon.
"It's been a big effort by the students, and staff, especially Leanne Batchelor, we couldn't have done it without her help."
She also thanked Spotlight.
"They were absolutely wonderful.
"I contacted the manager, Courtney, to see if they could donate some material scraps and they were amazing. They donated the ribbon to tie the mittens, the material, the whole lot."
