Girl of the Year 2021: Kira's Animal Rescue

 Published: 2021. Author: Erin Teagan. Illustrator: Millie Liu.

Summary

Aunt Mamie's recovery is going well, and Kira and Alexis have settled into a nice routine of taking care of the animals at the sanctuary and helping one of Aunt Lynette's university students look for the paradise parrot. But a pair of firefighters bring grim news: a bushfire is raging not too far away, and the two hundred acre wildlife sanctuary needs to be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. Soon everyone is busy finding temporary foster homes for injured animals, packing emergency bags, and clearing dry leaf litter--prime fire fuel--away from the buildings. But the student, Evie, is setting up camp in the middle of the sanctuary: she thinks she's found a paradise parrot nest, and she's not going to lose it to fire. Meanwhile, volunteers are gathering all the animals they can, moving them out of danger as the bushfire grows and gets closer. 

One morning, Kira awakes to alarms. The fire is encroaching, and it's time to evacuate. They move into the dorms at the university where Aunt Lynette teaches. There, Kira and Alexis mention to Evie that they set up a trail camera to watch the nest, having forgotten to mention it during the stress of the fire situation. Together, the three watch the footage of some animals that triggered the camera to record, including a bird visiting the nest! Evie thinks it might be a paradise parrot, but Kira and Alexis do some research and find it looks far more like the endangered, but not extinct, golden-shouldered parrot. However, the next day Evie excitedly shows them some pictures she was able to pull from the footage. She's convinced it's the paradise parrot! She's elated to not only have found proof of the animal but also the funding such a discovery is sure to bring the wildlife sanctuary.

Alexis isn't so sure. She privately tells Kira that something doesn't seem right, and that she thinks the footage is doctored--falsified. At first Kira is appalled that Alexis would make such an accusation, but it's mere hours before Evie admits as much. Evie defends her actions though: she's certain the real parrot IS there, she just needs proof. She would have gotten proof if the bushfire hadn't spread, and isn't protecting the species plus the others the sanctuary helps a good enough reason to "touch up" a picture? Having justified her actions to herself, Evie announces her "discovery" to Aunt Lynette. Kira is able to eventually convince Evie to come clean, but the damage to Evie's reputation is done. She might be expelled from university. Kira feels awful for her, but Evie has no one to blame but herself.

Then comes news that it's safe to return to the wildlife sanctuary. What's left of it, anyway. Much has been destroyed. Kira's great-aunts take a moment to recover from the shock, and set straight to work making plans to rebuild. The animals will need them now more than ever. Kira is invited to come back next summer. She and Alexis can hardly wait.


Misc

Dedicated to Kellen and Henley, with gratitude to Alison Bee (doctor of veterinary medicine in Queensland, Australia), Tassin Barnard (of Walkabout Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia), and Amelia Lachal and Libby McEnriy (of Mattel Australia).

There's a section at the end of the book featuring "global changemakers," girls who are speaking out about climate change. A trip to California and news about Greta Thunberg inspired Alexandria to make her voice heard outside the UN building every Friday. Reshma of California found a way to help predict where forest fires might start, helping firefighters put them out before they get too big. Bria paints endangered animals and has sold her artwork to raise more than $70,000 for conservation efforts. Genesis began eating a vegan diet in an effort to reduce animal cruelty, and gives talks to others encouraging them to do the same, or to at least reduce their use of animals and animal products.

The wildlife sanctuary brings in an expert to help guide the animal relocation efforts. From how the book describes him in safari gear, I'm picturing Robert Muldoon from Jurassic Park. 
 

There's a subplot about Kira and Alexis catching a wild wallaby on the sanctuary so it can be taken care of away from the fire, but not being able to get her joey. The morning that the fire forces them to leave, Kira and Alexis spot the joey, weak from dehydration and hunger, and are able to catch it and get it to safety.

If their mothers aren't available, the joeys are transported in sewn cloth pouches. In early 2020, my daughters' Girl Scout troop sewed several such pouches in various sizes and sent them to an Australian group that was collecting them for joeys orphaned by the bushfires.