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The little ducklings and hungry crocodile

One cool and peaceful day I was casually walking through long green and yellow grass, around the big blue lake, admiring the nature around me. The dry grass and thin branches were crunching under my feet. The trees were swinging side to side like a roller coaster. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. The birds were flying happily high into the sky, chirping. Craaa, craaa, craaa. The kookaburra was singing, he was so happy. I felt so calm and relaxed, connecting with this beautiful nature and feeling peace inside myself. I heard crickets burrowing beneath the grass singing all types of rhymes and songs. Chirp, chirp, chirp. Leaves were falling from every branch with bundles and packs all over the dirty ground. The sky was becoming dark and gloomy and the water was flowing in a smooth diagonal direction. Ducks were swimming around quietly as they played in deep clear water. Everything was calm and relax full until the big group of birds flew down into the tree next to the lake. They started screaming with all their heart to warn the unalerted ducks about the giant, dark shadow in the water. Craaaa Craaaa Craaaa!!! I felt frightened and anxious as the ducks began to panic, pushing each other out of the way, and swimming rapidly all over the place, avoiding the shadow. The sky becomes darker and darker by the second. The shadow was rising higher and higher and it emerged from the depths and it turned out to be a large, hungry, and mad crocodile, trying to eat the poor little ducklings. Snap Snap Snap!!! Oh noooooo!!!  My heart was racing and beating faster than ever. The ducklings were left defenseless and all hope was lost. Boom Boom Boom!!! Rain started to occur and droplets of fear dripped down my face. I was trying to think quickly of a way I could help the ducks. I ran around the lake like crazy to find some help, while the wind pushed me back. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Then I saw a big white pelican with a long sharp beak swimming nearby. BINGO! The pelican! That wasn’t like any other pelican. This was a magic pelican who could talk. He can help the poor little ducklings. I told him what was going on and he glided through the water towards the ducklings. He made the loudest noise I have ever heard. CRAAAAAAAAAAA!!! And all the birds from the sky and trees flew towards the crocodile while he started poking it in the head with his giant, sharp orange beak. The birds joined the fight and provided enough time for the little ducklings to sprint with their tiny feet out of the water and back to safety. They hid in a big pile of long, dry grass near the lake. The crocodile realized he was no match and went back deep into the water, swimming away. I felt like a hero, happy and overjoyed for the little ducks as they survived the crocodile’s attack. I was jumping out of joy and happiness, dancing in the rain. Yay, hip hip hooray! Crocodile had run away! Everyone is safe now and I can go home peacefully feeling like a true hero. After all, I guess not all heroes wear capes.

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The little ducklings and the hungry crocodile

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I felt so calm and relaxed, connected to nature. Sound

When I was walking and admiring the nature around me I felt so calm and relaxed because I wasn’t just hearing the nature sounds around me I was listening to them. Deep listening, helped me to connect to nature and feel it inside myself, just as says in videos about the “Difference between hearing and listening” (TEDx Talks,2015) and “Listening” (Canada, 2009) if you want to understand and connect with the environment, you have to concentrate, stay quiet, and listen deep. Listen to all voices around you, use all your senses properly, and listen carefully. I listened sounds of the tree (whoosh, whoosh), the sound of the birds (craaa, craaa), the happy kookaburra singing, and crickets chirping (chirp, chirp) I observed the ducks swimming peacefully (quack, quack) and the water flowing calmly, connecting to living and non-living things, feeling that energy, and expressing it through my story.

The environment and those tall gum trees made me feel welcome and free, just as Aunty Joy Murphy said “You’re given freedom of the bush” and “You’re welcome from the tops of those trees to the roots of the earth.” (Welcome, by Aunty Joy Murphy AO, Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Elder, n.d.) This natural environment, especially the river and the trees hold a special place in my heart, just like for Aboriginal people. Before moving to Australia, I spent my entire childhood and life living next to a river, surrounded by trees and beautiful nature. This place reminds me of my home and childhood, bringing back memories of playing with my friends by the river and our imaginative adventures. This is a reflection of my life as a child.

Walking through this environment made me feel “Dadirri” which resonates with reading “Dadirri” where they feel connected to nature and feel inner peace, calm, and relaxed. (Miriam Rose Ungunmerr, 2024) They slow down, and run away from daily life, without rushing and hurrying, just like I did in my experience. They “Listen” as they said in the video Dadirri, “To know me, it’s to breathe with me. To breathe with me, it’s to listen deeply. To listen deeply is to connect.” (Miriam Rose Foundation, 2017) In the same way, I feel and connect with nature, from a young age, living and breathing with it. I acknowledge the positive impact of nature on human life and value it.

In future practice, I aim to increase outdoor time for children and assist them in understanding and deepening their connection with nature and listening to the sounds in their environment, acknowledging the benefits of nature in their life, and appreciating them.

This experience made me feel youthful, as if I were a child again, connecting with the beautiful nature around me, using my senses and imagination to create something new. It reminds me of the video "Wala is Life," where the artist sings about nature and its importance, feeling in harmony with her environment and emphasizing the deep interconnectedness of life with the natural world. She uses nature sounds to express her emotions and portray nature, just as I did in my story—capturing the sounds of trees, birds, and the joyful singing of the kookaburra, and imitating them. (Allara-Topic, 2018)

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The water isn’t white it’s the reflection of the lights.

Movement

Looking around, I noticed the river flowing peacefully, ducks swimming calmly and branches swaying gently with the fresh breeze. The color of the water was changing from clear to white due to the natural light and the time of day. The setting sun reflected the water and cast shadows from the surrounding trees and grass, giving the area a unique appearance. It seemed like a dance of light and shadows, transporting me to a world of imagination and sparking my creativity. This resonates with the video The Parallaxis where they have lots of light and shadows that take us into new adventures and take us to discover the extraordinary within the ordinary (The Parallaxis-A game of walking between Worlds, n.d.), and with the video Mutton Bird where they use special lights for the dancers to get the effect of mutton bird and to express their movement. (Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird, n.d.)

For my future practice, I believe this is so interesting for children and they should experience it, with the feeling and appreciation for nature and different dimensions, the concept of a mirror plays, immersing ourselves in the magic of our imagination and creativity.

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Ducklings panicking, pushing each other.         Drama

The time when I saw ducklings swimming frantically, panicking, and pushing each other, was dramatic and made me feel like there was something intense happening. I even added dramatic language to my experience, using a high-pitched voice and words like "screaming, frightened, anxious, Oh, noooooo! Snap, snap! racing, Boom, boom." These strong words helped create a powerful narrative that could engage and captivate an audience, intensifying the drama and tension of the story.

I was reminded of a video called "Movement, Sound, Play" (Movement, Sound, Play / Artifact Dance Project / TEDxTucson, n.d.) and another one about "Mutton birds" (Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird, n.d.) when I saw the ducklings swimming fast all over the place and panicking, pushing each other. The videos showed people/dancers/artist expressing their feelings and thoughts through their movements and body language, which helped me understand and acknowledge the emotions of the ducklings. This understanding inspired me to write a dramatic story and seek help for them.

Children learn by experiencing sounds and movement and may appear different from one another because each child is unique. It is important to allow them to express themselves in their own authentic way, which I will support in my future practice.

The white pelican.            Movement

I remember seeing a white pelican with a long, sharp beak swimming in the water nearby while I was walking. It reminded me of someone who could help, and save ducklings, and it brought to mind a story my mom used to tell me about a stork and a crocodile when I was little. I thought it would be a great idea to include him in my story.

This resonates with the reading “Children, Creative Play and the Natural Environment” (Wilson R, 2007) as children use their senses while they play, explore the environment, incorporate their experience into their internal system of thoughts, and solve problems. A natural environment is an ideal place for children to engage in imaginative and creative play, just like I did in my experience.

In my future practice, I will support children to connect and engage with nature and play and enhance their imagination and creativity, free play, following their own instincts, ideas and interests in their way for their own reason. (Outcomes for Children: The Role of the Professional Playworker, n.d.)

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The white pelican.                Movement

I remember seeing a white pelican with a long, sharp beak swimming in the water nearby while I was walking. It reminded me of someone who could help, and save ducklings, and it brought to mind a story my mom used to tell me about a stork and a crocodile when I was little. I thought it would be a great idea to include him in my story.

This resonates with the reading “Children, Creative Play and the Natural Environment” (Wilson R, 2007) as children use their senses while they play, explore the environment, incorporate their experience into their internal system of thoughts, and solve problems. A natural environment is an ideal place for children to engage in imaginative and creative play, just like I did in my experience.

In my future practice, I will support children to connect and engage with nature and play and enhance their imagination and creativity, free play, following their own instincts, ideas and interests in their way for their own reason. (Outcomes for Children: The Role of the Professional Playworker, n.d.)

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Feeling like a hero.            Sound and Movement

At the end of my experience, I felt incredibly happy. I jumped for joy and danced in the rain, just like in the video "Dadirri" (Miriam Rose Foundation, 2017). I even started singing, "Yay, hip, hip hooray! The crocodile had run away!" As Wooten (Wooten, 2013) said, I was "jamming" with professionals. I express myself, my thoughts, and my feelings through the language of music and movement.

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Overall, this experience was really good, and I truly enjoyed it, especially because I felt a strong connection to nature and my childhood. It allowed me to tap into my inner child and use my imagination and creativity to craft a compelling story, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Personally, I deeply appreciate nature, art, music, and drama. I always strive to encourage and support children in connecting with these interests, understanding their benefits, and using them. I believe it's important for children to develop their skills and knowledge, experience joy and tranquility, and appreciate the world around them while finding their creative expression through art, music, and drama.

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Allara - Topic. (2018, November 13). Wala Is Life. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=208&v=1XACgej9L80&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fvucollaborate.vu.edu.au%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo

Bangarra Education Resources Mutton Bird. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://youtu.be/o-PV98Oshkc

Canada, N. F. B. of. (2009). Listen. Www.nfb.ca. https://www.nfb.ca/film/listen/

Miriam Rose Foundation. (2017). DADIRRI (Official Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Video): 3-minute promo. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tow2tR_ezL8

‌ Movement, Sound, Play | Artifact Dance Project | TEDxTucson. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://youtu.be/HrgpeuPbp-I

‌ Outcomes for Children: The role of the Professional Playworker. (n.d.). https://www.playaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/LibraryDownloads/Outcomes%20for%20Children%20-%20The%20Role%20of%20playworkers.pdf

TEDx Talks. (2015, November 12). The difference between hearing and listening | Pauline Oliveros | TEDx Indianapolis. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHfOuRrJB8&t=614s

The Parallaxis – A game of walking between worlds. (n.d.). The Parallaxis. https://www.the-parallaxis.com/

Welcome, by Aunty Joy Murphy AO, Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Elder. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. https://youtu.be/i9ta1EQJYqE

Wooten, V. (2013, May 29). Music as a Language: Victor Wooten at TEDx Gabriola Island. YouTube. https://youtu.be/2zvjW9arAZ0

(2024). Vu.edu.au. https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/content/enforced/1816406-ECE2008-1-2023-HWB-151670/Dadirri_Handout%20(1)%20(1).pdf?ou=2004136

‌ (2024). Vu.edu.au. https://vucollaborate.vu.edu.au/content/enforced/1783102-ECE2008-1-2023-H1B3-150037/Nature_and_Young_Children_Encouraging_Creative_Pla..._----_(Chpater_1_Children_creative_play_and_the_natural_environment)1.pdf?ou=2004136