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You and I

Thamara Sumanasekara

Each winter morning, my footsteps would patter alongside Salt Creek, as I strolled through the Rosanna Parklands, the small urban parkland in my old neighbourhood. The sight of a butcherbird collecting sticks and twigs caught my eye one of these mornings, and I soon saw the home she had been building. My story had begun.

As time progressed, I watched these beautiful chicks as they grew and became young birds. The curiosity they seemed to hold soon become evident in their eyes. Watching them mature day by day, I was lucky enough to see how their mother taught them to catch prey and sing their songs, as well as see how they saw the world around them. I’d hope to see a glimpse of their father as well, yet that day never came.

As I continued to watch their journey, the urban environment that lay on the outskirts of their small patch of wilderness grew and grew. Why must the animals around us be lost, their habitats be destroyed and diminished? I wanted to do something, take my part in spreading awareness about the importance that wildlife like this has in our lives.

I named the chicks Rose and Anna, and their mum Salt, and eventually, I ended up writing their story in a short picture book for my own daughters.

In lockdown seven years later, I went through these old memories. My girls are growing up, and I wanted to revisit Rose and Anna’s story once again, with them. We created a small short film, and together, we were able to bring Rose and Anna’s story to life again, and share their plea to protect our environment with the others around us.