SANDPOINT — Zombies are taking over an old abandoned trailer house in Ponderay and, come October, the nest will be overrun with the living dead.

The “Zombie Nest” is actually a project of Lake Pend Oreille High School teacher Randy Wilhelm and his students. Wilhelm said his art students will decorate the 14- by 70-foot trailer over the next month, using driftwood to create a “nest feel” down the hallways among other creepy decor.

“This will be part of my art project for first quarter … It should be fun,” Wilhelm said.

The “Zombie Nest” will be open for three weekends in October — two before Halloween and one after, since Halloween falls on a Thursday this year.

The project will also be a “great” fundraiser, Wilhelm said, as all of the funds raised will go toward a trip to New York and Washington, D.C., in June 2020, for some of his current and former students.

The mobile was donated to Wilhelm for the fundraiser, and the community has helped out with other aspects of the project as well. The owner of the Hoot Owl Cafe is providing the land, and another community member donated a large amount of decking.

“Through lots of community support, we have been able to get the materials we need,” Wilhelm said.

The community has also helped out as Wilhelm said he has run into some issues with the “Zombie Nest” being in city limits. The city is requiring a wheelchair ramp, he said, which in turn requires a building permit. To get the permit, Wilhelm said he needs engineered plans, so a former student at Lou’s Welding and Repair is helping out with those. In addition, Idaho Forest Group donated the lumber for the ramp, Wilhelm said, though he also had to have the trailer professionally leveled, which came with a cost of about $900.

Despite the setbacks, Wilhelm is confident the “Zombie Nest” will be up and running in October, and hopes it will raise enough money to top off their fundraising goal of $12,000. Six students are planning to take the trip, where they will have the opportunity to go to a Broadway play, visit the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Smithsonian, the White House and more.

“It’s going to be life-changing — most of these kids have never been more than 100 miles out of Sandpoint,” Wilhelm said.

The group has spent the past year fundraising, primarily with plant and art sales, and Wilhelm said they are about halfway to the goal. If the “Zombie Nest” raises enough money, he said, he could potentially take more students as well.

The group is also accepting donations, and anyone who would like to donate can contact Wilhelm by email at [email protected].

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.