I had a dream the other night. At first, it gave me quite a fright. I thought the Moon was falling, ’til it landed on my windowsill. She fluffed her fur and shook her head then gracefully leapt onto my bed It’s not the Moon, it’s not a spider. Instead, a silver Greater Glider! At 12pm, the midnight hour, a clock struck twelve. A sense of power shimmered through her moonshine coat, as she began to grow and float. “Climb aboard”, she said with pride and took me on a midnight ride. Swooping through the starry night, two new-found friends in sheer delight.
Way up in the mountains Bamboo forests grow Swaying to the seasons Of rain, mist and snow Only found in China Elusive and so rare Fur of black and white Coats the Panda Bear
Majestic yet reclusive He minds his own affairs Pandas do not hibernate Unlike other bears Blending into shadow He cannot be seen Marking trees with scent Tell others where he’s been
Large head and jaws to match Makes easy work to chew Food of the forest His diet is bamboo A type of little thumb Coming from the wrist Holds down tasty shoots Which he can’t resist
With pupils of a cat He sees well by night Black fur ‘round each eye Shades from bright daylight Strong legs made for weight Keen ears and sense of smell Nature’s gifts such as these Have served him very well
Sadly it came to pass They became too rare Action must be taken To save the Panda Bear The task awaits but where to start? Many never knew Much at all about this bear Except they eat bamboo!
China’s first to take the lead And saw what must be done Now ‘Endangered’, chances slim The challenge must be won Other nations joined the quest Sharing knowledge gained No effort would be spared Since very few remained
How to save these precious bears And care for tiny cubs? Many zoos around the world Are conservation hubs Bamboo forests were restored Progress showed its face Numbers slowly rising up But Pandas set the pace!
Our world adores the Panda A symbol of good will Their future now assured By hard work and skill They fill each heart with pride And joy beyond measure May Pandas always be China’s national treasure.
October 4th is Sawfish Day. Sawfish numbers are sadly declining. Nowadays, sawfish are only reliably found near Florida USA and around northern Australia. Sawfish, like their shark relatives have a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone. Question: how can you tell the difference between a sawfish and a sawshark? Answer: by looking at its gills. Sawfish gills are underneath their body, next to its mouth, while a sawshark’s gills are found on the side of its head.
Australian Children’s Poetry 