With help from the Rainforest Alliance, a brave young Costa Rican tree frog is traveling around the world to make new friends and find out what humans are doing to help save her home. This is the fourth in a series of five weekly dispatches about her experiences.
They said the Big Dry was over in 2012. Oliver Martin would spit if his throat weren’t so dry. He always wants to spit when he thinks about the old days. More than a decade of grinding drought and wildfire takes a lot out of a man. I hear Oliver say that often as I ride solemnly atop his wide felt hat. He lost his sheep and sold his land for a fraction of its value before relocating to Sydney to find a better life for his family.
But things move fast here, and even after two years, Oliver feels he doesn’t belong. A quick tug on his sleeve reminds him he hasn’t lost everything. “Here, Dad,” his daughter says. “This is it.” So young. Such bright eyes. Ruby pulls him into Coles and heads intuitively for the frozen goods. As he reaches for a tub of chocolate ice cream, his daughter chides him. “Not that one, Dad, this one. That one doesn’t have the frog.”
My ears would prick up, you know, if my ears could do such a thing. I lean over the brim curiously. “The little frog means the growers are protecting the earth,” she says, pointing to my likeness. Oliver protests and points to the stuff his family always bought on their trips to town. “You always say no one cares where their food comes from,” Ruby says. “But maybe we can slow down global warming by growing food the right way – maybe even end the drought and move back to the farm.” What could Oliver do but put his choice back in the freezer before Ruby reminds him he’s wasting energy. “Yes, possum. It’s your world. Maybe we can make it better together.” Ruby skips down the aisle. “And have our ice cream,” she says. I’m leaning over upside down now, and swear I see Oliver smile.
Content on this page is provided by the Rainforest Alliance, supporter of the Vital Signs platform.
More from the Frog Diaries series:
- Brooklyn girl follows the frog.
- Backyard naturalist follows the frog.
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Brazilian chef follows the frog.
