Biking for pandas

08 Sep 2014

Peter Carter is a member of the Berwick Village Combined Probus Club. He is a retired veterinarian and has spent his working life with animals.

I am very concerned that we humans have increased our own numbers to a stage where it threatens the survival of so many other species. Thousands of species of animal, bird and plant are under stress, are extinct or becoming so because of our actions.

However, there is a ray of hope. It is good to see a number of organisations with competent people in them doing their best to improve the situation by putting aside reserves for natural areas and save species. I contribute to a number of these, including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

I was invited by WWF to go to China to "Pedal for Pandas" in June, 2014. Inspired Adventures in Sydney organises a wide variety of charity events and worked with WWF in China on this one. Each person paid his or her own expenses and raised an extra $3000 or more in donations to assist in the conservation of the 1600 or so pandas still in the wild. We finished with 12 starters, nine women and three men, plus a Chinese support team.

In order to help raise donations, a couple of my family members made videos of me and promoted me on email and the internet. I did not particularly want to reveal my age, not seeking any particular concession because of it. However, being 84 and still able to ride a bicycle plus my reasons for being there helped bring in $9000 in donations.