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Devil Dictionary
Are you a little devil?
Angels supporting devils
Black and White Day

Devil Dictionary

• The Latin name for the Tasmanian devil is Sarcophilus harrisii.
  Sarco = flesh
  Philus = lover
  Harris is the name of the man who described them in scientific terms.
• The name of the condition affecting Tasmanian devils is Devil Facial Tumour Disease. It means:
  Devil = Tasmanian devil
  Facial = because it tends to occur on the face
  Tumour = cancer/neoplasm/growth
  Disease = ill/sick/disorder

Are you a little devil?

This was the question asked of children across Tasmania by nine-year-old Nature Nic (as Nic Bonnitcha prefers to be known) - the Hobart schoolboy who raised $10,604 in 2007 with the inaugural ‘Black and White’ day. Fourteen of the cutest responses received by Nic are featured on a Black and White calendar (Nic’s theme), which was launched in November, 2007.

“I’m a little devil because my freckles look like whiskers,” said one of our awesome Tassie kids. “I am a Tassie devil because I am unique and Tasmanian,” replied another.

The idea behind the calendar, Nic said, was to make children aware of the plight of their Tasmania devil. “I want every child to know that they can make a difference,” he said. “Even the smallest things can help to save the Tassie devil.”

Nic said he’s especially worried that the Tasmanian devil will become extinct, like the Tasmanian tiger. “Both of these animals have ‘Tasmanian’ in their name because they’re special to us,” he said. “But I don’t want to have to tell my kids one day that the devil is extinct, just like the Tiger, and that I didn’t do anything to try to help save it.

“If we lose this animal – and the devil will die, if we don’t do anything – then there won’t be anything that makes Tasmania special.”

Tasmanian photographer Sarah Ryan donated her expertise to produce the calendar, which can be purchased for $10 at all State, Private and Catholic schools, as well as select Newsagents. All funds raised will go to the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.

For more information, go to Nic’s website: www.naturenic.com.au

* Is your school taking part in Black and White Day on Friday May 16, 2008? Learn more about Nature Nic’s inaugural Black and White Day in 2007.

Angels supporting devils

These lovely angels from Brighton Primary School – Guinevere Bristow, 9, and 11-year-old Avalon Bristow – baked ‘devil cakes’ to help Save the Tasmanian Devil.

Their wonderful effort, combined with the generosity of all the students at Brighton Primary School, helped to raise $700 for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.

An inspirational idea by an eight-year-old Hobart schoolboy has raised more than $10,500 for research into the Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease.

Nic Bonnitcha – who goes by the name Nature Nic – encouraged schoolchildren across Tasmanian to wear black and white clothes to school on May 18 2007, and to make a gold coin donation to help save their devils.

“It’s not hard to come up with a simple idea,” said Nature Nic, a student from St Aloysius Primary School at Kingston Beach. “But it’s by following through with the idea that you make all the difference.”

More than 37 Tasmanian schools took part in the first-ever Black and White day, but this is only the beginning. Nic spent the July school holidays writing to Education and Environment Ministers across mainland Australia, hoping to make ‘Black and White’ day a national event next year. And why restrict it to school students? Couldn’t your workplace also organise a ‘Black and White’ day?

“All around the world, people think of Tassie devils whenever they hear about Tasmania,” said Nic. “Sometimes people think they’re evil or scary, but they’re not. They’re actually more scared of us than we are of them.

“So I’d feel like I’d be letting them down if I didn’t try to do something to help.”

Nic’s Mum, Linda Bonnitcha, said he came up with the idea after minor surgery forced him off school for a few weeks.

“To stop him from getting bored, we talked about things he could do to fill in time,” Linda explained. “Then he came up with the idea of a ‘Black and White’ day to raise money for the Tasmanian devil – it’s a simple idea, but it can be so effective. Nic told me that he didn’t want to tell his children, when he got older, that devils had died out, just like Tasmanian Tigers.”

‘Black and White’ days will be held each autumn, Nic said, because it’s a time of change.

“Just because kids are small,” Nic added, “it doesn’t mean we don’t have big voices.”