16th March World Panda Day

World Panda Day, celebrated annually on March 16, marks an important occasion to honour and raise awareness about one of the most beloved and iconic species on the planet. Originating from China, pandas are not just a source of national pride but also play a crucial role in the conservation of biodiversity. 

There are two subspecies of panda – the Giant, black and white panda, and the much rarer, Qinling panda, a brown subspecies discovered in 1985 in the mountain ranges of southern Shaanxi Province, China.

The giant panda is a symbol of peace and friendship in China, representing conservation efforts worldwide. Its image is globally recognised and used in wildlife conservation campaigns, highlighting the importance of environmental protection.

Pandas play a crucial role in the biodiversity of the forests they inhabit. As bamboo specialists, they help maintain the health and growth of bamboo forests by spreading seeds and facilitating growth. Their activities support a variety of other organisms in these ecosystems.

Panda mothers are known to give birth to one of the smallest mammal newborns relative to the mother’s size. A newborn panda is about 1/900th the size of its mother, blind, and helpless.

It is easy to celebrate pandas in the library because we have so many books about pandas! There are stories where the main character(s) are pandas, and nonfiction books galore.

Stories:

• Who can resist Mr Panda by Steve Antony

• the Pom Pom stories by Sophy Henn

• the Koo and Stillwater books by Jon Muth

or Bad Panda by Swapna Haddow?

• The Panda Problem  by Deborah Underwood

• The Only Lonely Panda  by Jonny Lambert

• Pandamonia  by Chris Owen and Chris Nixon

• When I Draw a Panda  by Amy June Bates

Nonfiction

• Young Zoologist: Giant Panda  by Vanessa Hull

• Interview with a Panda by Andy Seed

• Pandas  by Ann Schreiber

• Mrs Harkness and the Panda  by Alicia Potter

• Ping-Ping the Panda  by Jan Latta

• Saving Pandas  by Carla Litchfield

• The Pandas and their Chopsticks  by Demi

• Tracks of a Panda  by Nick Dowson

• How Many Baby Pandas?  by Sandra Markle (this book is a favourite with the students)

26th March Earth Hour

The last Saturday in March is  time to celebrate Earth Hour.

Every year hundreds of millions of people around the world in more than 7,000 cities in over 190 countries take part by switching off for 60 minutes as a symbolic gesture of solidarity to show they care about our planet's future. It started in 2007 in Sydney to a lot of fanfare  as a way to draw attention to Climate Change. Now I feel it doesn't have the same 'noise' associated with it, but it is a good excuse to turn off all the lights and 'feel' the darkness.