Buffy, Debby, Jamie, Albert and Matt are talking something together in a group on WeChat. Here is what they say.

At least 109,265 square kilometers of land burned in Australia from September 2019 to March 2020. Around 1,250,000,000 animals died in the fires.

Like millions of others around the world, 18-year-old Rachel Ratelle from the US saw news of the fires. She felt sad as she watched a badly hurt Koala trying to climb a tree to safety.

But unlike many people, she decided to do something about it. She called wildlife rescue organizations(救援组织) in Australia to find out what they needed most. Many groups were asking for hand-sewn (手工缝制的) pouches (育儿袋) for animals like koalas and kangaroos that lost their homes and parents in the fires.

Ratelle wanted to provide these things, but there was just one problem. " I've never sewn in my life, " Ratelle said. "Giving money seemed like something too simple(简单) . I just wanted to help these animals by doing something myself, so I decided to learn how to sew. "

Over the next month, RaLelle bought her own sewing machine and taught herself how to sew by watching online videos. She sewed 25 pouches of different sizes and sent them to wildlife rescue organizations in Australia.

A week later, she received a photo from an organization with a baby kangaroo in one of her pouches. She said it was a great feeling. "It made me feel like I contributed (作出贡献) to the world, and it showed how a simple act of kindness can go a long way, " Ratelle said. "I plan to use my new sewing skills to help animals and people who have suffered from natural disasters. "

The Cooper family from the US are in Costa Rica for two weeks. Mike and Jane Cooper, their daughter Ann and their son Toby.

The Coopers are working for a group called Pretoma. “We’re volunteers—we don’t get any money for doing this,” says Jane. “But it’s good to help the animals here.”

Sea turtles lay their eggs on the beaches here. They come out of the ocean at night, make a hole in the sand and lay their eggs. Then they bury（埋） the eggs and return to the ocean. But some people take these eggs and sell them.

The Pretoma volunteers at Punta Banco are trying to protect sea turtles and their eggs. “We walk along the beach every night and look for turtles laying eggs,” says Ann. We wait for the mother to go back to the ocean. Then we dig up the eggs, take them to the hatchery and bury them. The hatchery provides a safe and warm environment for the eggs. In about two months.

But it’s not all about work for the Coopers. In the daytime they can swim or just get some sleep. Toby plays soccer with the children in the village. “This is a great holiday,” he says. “We’re doing good work and having a nice time. I want to come back next year.”