Bilbies are just beautiful! They are an endangered, native, nocturnal marsupial, with the cuteness factor of a bunny or higher.
Today my girls asked if we could do school in the park. Back when I was young and naive, I allowed this. It meant precious little school work was done, and a whole lot of looking around and chatting happened. In a moment of weakness, I decided to make today a trial to see if things had improved in the ability to school somewhere beside home.
Ha!
The conditions didn’t look favourable. The place we had decided was most conducive to productivity, and least likely to allow Miss Baby to drown herself, was filled with what appeared to be a convention of the elderly. A man started giving a talk. (About now I was thinking school was a write off for today).
As it happened, the man was Frank Manthey, and he was giving a talk about the conservation of bilbies. ( Hello spontaneous science/SOSE lesson!) Frank’s own story was worth showing up for: when combined with the bilby information and presentation, it was the kind of day that a homeschooling mother dreams about. It was perfect!
We learned a lot about these adorable little creatures, and were able to view one up close.
The icing on the cake that was my perfect day? At the save the bilby website, you are asked to buy chocolate biblies from Darrell Lea, the only producer of chocolate bilbies who donates back to the save the bilby fund. Do you need more permission than this? RUN to your nearest Darrell Lea store and buy those bilbies. It’s for a good cause. 
If you would like to learn more about bilbies, about bilby conservation, or how you can become involved, you can visit the save the bilby website.
July 22, 2009 at 8:06 pm
You just take the cake everytime Mrs BB! How absolutely adorable are bilbies!
I showed my hubby this post, and he exclaimed that he has met this man. Frank Manthey came into your local post office once, with one of these bilbies in a cage. Small world hey…
July 22, 2009 at 8:20 pm
What an absolutely perfect day! To save the bilbies, I only have to buy chocolate – YUM.
Blessings,
Jillian
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July 22, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Awww, bilbies are so cute! But chocolate ones – well that just makes them even better.
And hearing about bilbies from an expert sounds like a fantastic way to spend a day. What brilliant timing.
July 22, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Now this is my kind of blog post – cute, furry things AND chocolate. What could be finer?
I’m off now to order my chocolate bilbies. It IS for a good cause, after all.
Fee
July 23, 2009 at 7:19 am
Have never once heard of a bilby before…they are so very cute! If I was decent at keeping things alive, I’d want one, for sure. Chocolate is definitely more up my alley.
July 23, 2009 at 7:39 am
Amanda, yes, I sure landed on my feet with this one
Seriously, I am still marvelling at how good God is to me. The girls have asked me so many times to try the park again (with earnest assurances of the huge effort they would make – all at which I sniffed at.) That I gave in yesterday when I had a million other things to do, and that when we got there it didn’t occur to me to pack them up and move somewhere else (Where was my brain?!) all turned out for good.
If I had known it was on and had been invited (we were freeloading, it must have been invitation only because there was not a child in sight except mine) I would have been in a stress to get them all looking presentable and on time. As it is, we winged it in our daggy old yardies (it is just the park across the road, and we weren’t meaning to crash a function – blush!) and met a champion Australian and a bilby! I’m still thrilled about it. As to Mr PP meeting him in the post office – it’s a small world indeed! (fancy taking a bilby to the post office??
)
Jillian, that’s right. Eat those chocolate bilbies with reckless abandon. You really are doing a great work for conservation, aiding the preservation of a darling Australian species. Why, if we eat enough chocolate, we may even receive our own award from the Australian Geographic Society for our contribution to conservation. I’m certainly going to throw myself into the project with a will.
SaraMac, it was a fantastic day. I woke up this morning still wondering how that happened.
Fee, yes, the more chocolate we eat, the better for the bilbies. Dig in!
Whitney, while most Australians would know what a bilby is, and have seen pictures, not too many would have the chance to see a real one. I thought myself when the man was showing it, that I could absolutely handle having one of those to pet while reading a book.. Seriously cute!
July 23, 2009 at 8:56 am
Mrs BB did you take the 1st photo as well? It looks like it is in the wild but it could very well be the park too…
I just had a little look at your links. Bilby’s are also known as rabbit-eared bandicoots. You would be shocked at how many regular bandicoots we have running around up here. No one cares too much for them and rarely bat an eyelid when they get run over. I do, because I love most animals (especially the cute, furry variety)…
These bilbies are so cute that I just had to come back and see your pictures once again. Yes, God is sure good to you. Why? Because you take photos to share with all of us
July 23, 2009 at 12:05 pm
What an absolutely wonder super dooper homeschool experience!!
Love the pics too!!
July 23, 2009 at 12:06 pm
oops, I meant wonderful…
July 23, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Cute as a bug’s ear and absolutley edible.
A wonderful providence indeed B.B. Days like that make all the questionable ones worthwhile, eh.
Great pics of the little furry guys!
July 23, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I agree. They are worth protecting, as anyone can see. Thanks for the post.
July 23, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Another thing worth protecting is the freedom of innocent people to not be persecuted. Look up gangstalking websites and do whatever it takes to help. This is really happening. Look up Peter Mooring sites, too.
July 23, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Amanda, I did take the first one too, and it is in the park. There is a special enclosure that houses a pair of bilbies.
So do you get bandicoots near your house? I have only ever seen two in real life. One was walking down the middle of the road outside the Koorong store in the city one night. (I can’t imagine what it was doing there, or that it lasted long without getting smudged!) The other was outside the restaurant at the Seaworld Nara resort, and I can only be grateful we were dining early. The girls and I were the only ones there, dh being at a work function, and a certain little girl stood up in her highchair and yelled at the top of her voice, “Mousy! Mousy!”
It was running along the outside of the glass wall, which overlooked a pond and garden scene. Although the staff all blanched, the tension was considerably relieved when the “mousy” was identified correctly.
Jeanne, it was all those things!
Thanks, Ruby. Having days like that are like getting a present when it’s not your birthday.
Mark, thanks for your comment. I did google Peter Mooring, and it certainly makes for some interesting reading.
July 23, 2009 at 7:57 pm
@ Beyond Bluestockings if I recall correctly during the 90’s some group of people wanted the Bilbie or some other Australian native animal to replace the Easter Bunny .
July 24, 2009 at 7:36 am
Luke, you do recall correctly. As the rabbit is an introduced species, and a pest, the idea was to promote the native Australian bilby instead. There are lots of bilbies in the stores come easter time now, though I didn’t realise until I attended the talk that only Darrell Lea donate from the sales of their bilbies to the save the bilby fund. So if one was to buy a chocolate bilby from Coles or Woolworths, it would not make any difference to the conservation efforts: it has to be darrell lea. (a terrible shame that it doesn’t help anything to buy Lindt gold bunnies. Very partial to those…)
July 24, 2009 at 11:09 am
Mrs BB, so are the bilbies in the part all the time? Right near your house? Man, I would never get anything done if that were the case with the park near me, lol…
July 26, 2009 at 10:58 am
Isn’t it wonderful when learning experience just jump right out at you. I’m glad you guys had a nice school day.
July 26, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Amanda, yes, there is a constant bilby distraction right by my house.
Vicki, it is wonderful, indeed! Thanks for your visit, and your comment.
July 27, 2009 at 8:46 am
I am encouraged to read the comments
I was the Cr with the group of Seniors from Camira , “Camira Friends and Neighbours “.
I am Chair of Conservation , Parks and Sport and was able to work with Frank to help bring the Bilby to Ipswich .
No doubt you witnessed that Frank is very passionate and enourages all to persue their dreams regardless of age .
I am so glad that you were able to have a interesting science lesson from a great teacher .
God has given us many unique animals in Australia and it is good to be able to do our part as a city to help protect and raise awareness about the Bilby
Have you tried our Ipswich Art Gallery for another school “lesson” ?
God Bless
David
July 27, 2009 at 12:57 pm
David, bringing bilbies to the city was certainly a cause worth applying your efforts to. It is a privilege indeed to have a facility as fine as the environmental park for the residents and visitors to enjoy, and the addition of the bilby enclosure is a triumph for conservation education.
As a result of stumbling upon your Camira Friends and Neighbours outing, I have been able to prevail upon Mr Manthey to give a presentation to our local homeschooling community, something we are all looking forward to.
The art gallery, with it’s dedicated children’s section, is a favourite with our homeschool students. We have learned skills from visiting artists and seen interactive exhibitions. It is definitely a great source of learning opportunities!
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
August 4, 2009 at 3:09 am
These look as though they are related to the Texas Jackalope.
August 4, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Burstmode, I see your Texas Jackalope and raise you a drop bear and a yowie
(Though I confess, I had to look yours up
)
November 23, 2009 at 1:15 pm
cool im looking about bilbies