Wednesday Night, I was privileged to share with volunteers from Hospices across the Greater Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington areas of the USA.
I introduced them to some friends from Australia:
The Koala (NB not a bear) is a well known Australian icon. Weighing 7 to 14kg (15 to 30 lbs),
Koalas are covered with thick, gray almost waterproof fur.
Koalas have great coordination.
Amongst its many unique characteristics, including its strong rear legs and pouch, the kangaroo has a very strong back bone.
The ant eating echidna are a shy solitary creature. Short, strong limbs with large claws allow them to be powerful diggers. They will dig in and remain fast if needed.
My personal favourite is the Bilby. With some similarities to the bandicoot, this cute creature has amazing ears which means it listens well.
The Platypus is another favourite. Lives in water, burrows in the earth- duck bill beaver tail, poison spur, egg carrying mammal. Talk about adaptability.
The wombat is a heavy slow moving creature but can reach speeds of 40 km/h (25 mph) when threatened. Wombats defend their burrows aggressively
I asked the volunteers which animals they were and got them to draw renditions of their "volunteer animal".
Koala- great coordination
Kangaroo- Strong Backbone
Echidna- digs in
Platypus- adaptable
Bilby- great listeners
Wombat – solid and reliable
We need all types in volunteering. Which are you?
Great analogy Martin. I think I might be a bit of a combination of all of them.
ReplyDeleteNice one Wendy! Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteGreat images thank you Martin - you will probably need to take out copyright. When you get to New Zealand you could do another take on the kiwi (the best nose); the tuatara (knows how to sit still and listen); the rabbit (no matter how many get killed off there are still plenty coming on to fill the gaps); all the indigenous birds that fill a multitude of different roles; and there are a few trees that might offer some anthropomorphic images for you. I'm not sure where I would place that dastardly destructor, the possum, introduced from Australia. But you are not included in this category.
ReplyDeletephew for me re the possum..Thanks for the comments and feedback
ReplyDelete