From a young age I have been drawing and painting but also observing and investigating the natural world. My mum taught us how to finger paint and also about the names of native plants and their uses. It is this conjoined love and passion for art and biology that led to me studying both art and science at university.
Fast forward to now, I am an artist and an honours student studying grassland conservation in the Tasmanian Midlands. In this project I am exploring how plants interact with living and non-living things in the soil to grow bigger and better than their neighbours. The grasslands I am working with are home to a large number of native Australian plants and animals, but the threat of invasive species taking over may result in these natives facing extinction.
My work involves talking to farmers to find better ways of getting rid of invasive species in these ecosystems, as well as doing experiments to see if the makeup of the soil contributes significantly to the growth of plants. Current management methods involve grazing by sheep and cows, burning the land, and applying herbicide.
Throughout my studies I have used methods that I have learnt in science and applied them to my art. Many of my paintings reflect theories that I have learned about in ecology, and I can’t wait to further learn about how I can involve art in my research whilst contributing to the conservation of important ecological environments.
