26th November World Lewis Day

World Lewis Day is  held annually on November 26. It was created to raise awareness of the hundreds of koalas that have died or have been displaced due to bushfires and to promote koala conservation.

Koalas are probably the most vulnerable to bushfires because eucalyptus trees where they live are highly flammable, and koalas move too slowly to be able to escape. Moreover, they rarely even try to escape; when in danger, koalas instinctively climb up to the very top of a tree, seeking refuge, curl up there, and become trapped. Koalas that don’t die from the fire may die later due to overheating and dehydration. Thousands of koalas have died in Australian bushfires, and more have become displaced due to the resulting habitat destruction. Habitat fragmentation caused by bushfires makes koalas isolated and causes a sharp reduction in the size of their population. 

World Lewis Day was created to raise awareness of the dangers of bushfires for koalas. It was named after Lewis the Koala that was saved from a bushfire in November 2019. During the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season, also known as Black Summer due to its devastating effects, Toni Doherty from New South Wales saved a badly burned koala and named him Ellenborough Lewis after one of her seven grandchildren. Lewis was taken to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, where he was treated for his burns. Sadly, the burns were too extensive for Lewis to recover.

The children I teach are very aware of the threat bushfires are for koalas, because they are the subject of quite a few picture books.

This is the uplifting true story of a koala who saved her baby from a bushfire, and the dedicated vets who looked after them until they were healed and ready to go home.

When a devastating bushfire ravages the land where Mallee the koala lives, she clings to her tree, hoping for safety. As the fires die down, the land is still hot, so Mallee must wait. When she can finally venture to the ground, Mallee finds her beloved tree blackened and thirsty.

Through the smoke, in a tiny battered boat, Koala sets out to rescue the billabong friends. 

A compelling and uplifting true story, with a sweet message about coping with loss that draws attention to an important and threatened wild animal.

One day, Fluffles and friends noticed bush fires starting in the outback. There was nowhere to escape so they rose up, up, up into the trees to wait it out until the ashes cooled. But when they climbed down, the hot trees burned their tiny paws. While they healed, they found one another and snuggled up, as the big hugs reminded them of their trees. 

A bushfire is coming! All the animals are trying to escape. They fly, slither, hop, run...but what about the koalas?

When deadly bushfires sweep through the forest, Bear and his team must act fast. Will Bear be able to find and help save the wild koalas? Follow the true story of Bear as he finds his purpose for important conservation work.

Some chapter books:

 

30th September Save the Koala Day

 

I have written about koalas before here and here, but there's a new book just published by Stephen Michael King, Koala Ark  which is a book every library should purchase to add to their stock of koala books. On his website Stephen has written about the impetus for this book. There are published teaching notes and these discussion starters.

The library has these other koala books.

7th January Bushfires

Once again parts of Australia are being ravaged by bushfires. It feels as if there have been so many years in my teaching career when I have gone back to school at the end of January to talk of bushfires and children asking questions about them. There are resources such as this put out by the Victorian Education Department to help teachers and students who have been 'touched' by the fires, but for children who know they have occurred but haven't experienced them first hand what do you give them to read?
I have used these picture books:
• Bushfire by Marguerite Hann Syme and David Cox. This is a picture book for 5 to 8 year olds showing very evocatively a hot blustery day when the sky fills with smoke and bushfires break out. Marguerite lived through the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 and has relived her experience through this book and a novel for older children called Burnt Out.
• Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle by Glenda Millard and Stephen Michael King. This gives children a clear picture of the aftermath of fires, but also shows the sense of community that can develop during and after a crisis.
• Where There's Smoke by Robin Lovell and David Miller. This picture book comes with notes. See here for a clear precis and what can be done as follow up.
• Fire Engine Lil by Janet and Andrew McLean. This is old, but gives children an accurate picture of the urgency involved.
• Bushfire by Tricia Oktober. This too is old, but may be in your library. Here you get the animals' point of view of bushfires.

I am sure there is more, but as I teach very young children I am not as familiar with books for older children. I thought I could use this newspaper-like article and I can also use other books about firefighters and fireman such as these that I have written about before.