The irresistible appeal of our unique Terrestrial orchids will often find native plant enthusiasts down on hands and knees following a hot summer bushfire surveying the forest floor where flowering colonies may emerge stimulated by the ‘Ash Bed’ effect and the symbiotic relationship with a particular soil Hyphae. Many like the small Hare orchid and Red Beaks depicted in this work may not be seen flowering again on the site until the next fire event.This work is one of a number painted by the artist after bushfires in the Grampians. Roger Edwards was a Forest Officer, posted to Cavendish, in SW corner of the Grampians, in 1975. He retired in 2018, enabling him to devote more time to his art.Environment, Wildflowers, Landscape, Botanic artGift of Rob Youl to commemorate artist, Betty Conabere.This painting shows orchids and other native plants regrowing densely in an ashbed after a Grampians bushfire. It is an aesthetic depiction of important ecological processes. wildflowers, lanscape, orchids, bushfire, grampians, environment, recovery after fire, botanic art

Since moving on from tonal pen and pencil work many years ago watercolour has been my medium preference for painting Flora and Fauna. Although better known for my Australian bird studies I do like to portray remnant grassland featuring the terrestrial orchids that occur there. As a Forest Officer for the past 40 odd years working in and around the Grampians area I have been blessed with the opportunity to observe and study much of the wildlife of the area. If you can imagine a peregrine falcon swooping down from a ledge, echidna playing trains, goanna striding to a tree or a sittella placing shingles on the nest This has been much of my life as a forester and artist. This work is one of a number painted by the artist after bushfires in the Grampians. Roger Edwards was a Forest Officer, posted to Cavendish, in SW corner of the Grampians, in 1975. In the 1980s he photographed details of the wildflowers and their recovery after fire. He retired in 2018, enabling him to devote more time to his art.Environment, Wildflowers, Landscape, Botanic artGift of Rob Youl to commemorate artist, Betty Conabere.This painting shows orchids and other native plants regrowing after Grampians bushfire. It is an aesthetic depiction of important ecological processes. wildflowers, lanscape, orchids, bushfire, grampians, environment, recovery after fire, botanic art