Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

NG () (): I'd like to draw attention to the Australian Conservation Foundation's children's art competition called Wild at Art. It encourages school children aged between five and 12 to create an original artwork of one of Australia's threatened species. In Solomon, Henry submitted a portrait of the Arafura snake-eyed skink, Therese painted a very happy dusky hopping mouse, 11-year-old Maggie drew an excellent regent honeyeater and 10-year-old Maeve painted a Gouldian finch. Seven-year-old Shanzay submitted a painting of the mask faced owl and wrote:

People are clearing the land where they live. If you chop down the trees, they won't be able to find a home and live happily. If we don't protect the masked owl then they won't have babies and there won't be more owls.

The ACF has done a great job of promoting awareness of endangered species. This competition is a fantastic way to get kids involved in their future environment. Australia is home to a diverse range of species not found anywhere else in the world. I thank these young Territorians, their parents and their teachers.