Backyard Possum Encounter

Our link for collecting western ringtail possum stories and images has now closed, and we would like to thank everyone who contributed. There are some fantastic stories that will help us to start developing the puppet play. If you have a story or photo you would still like to send please forward to rachel.mordy@gsg.wa.edu.au

We had lots of fun on our Spotlight Walks looking at the possums out at night. If you are interested in participating in one of these, there is a guided Spotlight Walk being run at Barmup, Bluff Rock Reserve during the holidays as part of the WA Tree Festival. Further details can be found here:

https://www.cityofalbanyevents.com/wa-tree-festival

Many thanks to Adalyn Sharpe in Year Ten for the beautiful baby possum photos that she sent through.

We’re excited to announce that we will perform an original puppet play at the Kalyenup Theatre later this year.

This play will be created in collaboration with Michael Barlow, the artist director of Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, and several theatre designers and puppeteers. We are very grateful for funding from the Creativity on Schools Grant from the Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries.

The play will allow students to perform and develop various theatre skills. There will be a call out for students interested early in Term Two. It will also raise awareness about the critically endangered Western Ringtail possum.

Albany is one of the few places where this nocturnal possum can still be found. Its numbers have been reduced by 90% since colonial settlement. Its main challenges are habitat loss, predators (cats and foxes), climate change, and roadkill.

But things are not all bad for the possum. It turns out that they are adapting to living in our backyards very well. And so, begins our play!

Ms Rachel Mordy | Head of the Arts