Gypsy and Anusheh raise money for Connecting Country!
Posted on 12 January, 2022 by Ivan
Gypsy and Anusheh at their lucky dip stall (photo by Robyn Matthews)
Gypsy and Anusheh, both in Grade 3 at Violet Street Primary School in Bendigo VIC, held a fundraiser for Connecting Country in November 2021. The girls did a fantastic job of arranging a lucky dip that cost 50 cents per dip. It was so successful they had 204 dips in the basket, which saw a line-up of students waiting for their turn, and raised an impressive total of $104!
The Connecting Country team are so proud to know these young advocates for our natural landscape. Connecting Country’s Landcare Facilitator, Hadley, interviewed the girls to find out what inspired them and what they love most about their local natural environment.
Q. What inspired you both to hold a fundraiser for Connecting Country?
Gypsy – I really like birds and native plants and basically native everything. We live in the sort of place where there is lots of native birds and stuff that I can look around at and like, and that kind of inspired me.
Anusheh – Well we get to see a lot of birds at our place. So I like the birds because they look pretty and when we go for walks I like how they sing and all of the different tress that they can go into.
Q. What do you love most about the natural environment where you live?
Anusheh – It’s probably the birds that I can see just sitting out the window in the trees and I can just look at them.
Gypsy – I like waking up to chirping birds making all different songs, it’s really relaxing. And going on walks seeing native plants, it’s really relaxing. We live on the Bendigo Coliban Water chase and there are lots of birds around the chase.
Violet Street Primary School students lining up for the lucky dip (photo by Robyn Matthews)
Q. What inspires you to look after and protect our landscapes and environment across Central Victoria?
Gypsy – I knew that Connecting Country would be the right place because they help lots of native things like native birds and native plants and native animals, and they’re really good with it. It’s important to me because I really like animals and I really like birds and I really think they should have a habitat just like we do.
Anusheh – When I got a dog she kept finding these dead birds around our house but we know she can’t catch them because she’s still a bit young to catch them. So I thought if I can help them [the birds] I think it would help and my dog won’t catch as many birds and maybe be a bit kinder to birds.
Q. What do you know about Landcare?
Gypsy – I know that my Dad is the Vice President of our local Landcare. I’ve also been to Camp out on the Mount.
Gypsy, Anusheh and another student counting the funds (photo by Robyn Matthews)
Q. Who are your role models?
Anusheh – I think it would probably be my parents, my teachers and some of my friends.
Gypsy – Asha [former Connecting Country staff member], because she’s really passionate, kind, funny, nice and I helped her at Camp out on the Mount, and my Dad.
Q. What do you hope to achieve when you grow up?
Gypsy – To be part of helping stopping climate change and the greenhouse effect, which is probably the worst effect you can get.
Anusheh – Probably to help so there won’t be as much plastic just floating around.
Q. What is your favourite bird or other animal?
Anusheh – Probably a Kookaburra
Gypsy – My favourite animals are sharks, snakes, and my favourite birds, I’ve got a lot. I can’t say all of them but a Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, a Long-billed Corella and a Short-billed Corella, Powerful Owl, Diamond Firetail, a Wedge-tailed Eagle and a thousand more!
The Connecting Country team send Gypsy and Anusheh a big thank you for their amazing efforts, and for taking the time to answer the interview questions. What wonderful initiative and commitment they have shown. Well done girls!
A beautiful story. They are the future
Thanks Smiley