The Hunter is Sprouting Books - Native Terrestrial Orchids of the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens18/3/2019 by Tim Roberts for publication in the Newcastle Herald on 18 March 2019
I regularly solve my Christmas gift problems in one fell swoop by buying up at the Botanic Gardens near Heatherbrae. Now there is a small but beautiful book about our local orchids to add to the range – the beautifully illustrated “Native Terrestrial Orchids of the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens” by Lynda McPherson. Lynda, the author and artist came to find her passion for natural history illustration later in life. Having raised the family she had time to explore and a chance meeting one University Open Day with the Natural History Illustration Degree staff ignited her passion to enrol and grow her love of nature through illustration. She is not the first one who has had such an epiphany when looking at the remarkable work done by students and staff of this unique degree program aimed at observing and illustrating subjects from nature, science and culture, with their linkages to the environment being central. During her undergrad studies, she found a mentor in Kevin McDonald, who introduced her to the beautiful orchids of the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens and to phenology – the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena – and enthusiastically encouraged her to keep a journal of flora, fauna, and temperature and rainfall data. The outer tracks of the Gardens consist of very sandy soil, and this is the perfect environment for native terrestrial orchids. Native orchids are a very strong indicator of the ecological health of an environment, and as such, stand alone as a very valuable commodity in any ecosystem. Native orchids all over the world are becoming rare and endangered, and in many cases are already extinct. Each week she would venture out into the bushland in search of orchids photographing and recording the date, genus, species, density, location of each one found. This led to watercolour paintings of the twenty-five orchids identified at the Gardens, then to an informative poster and now to a book designed to highlight the beauty of the orchids, as well as raise awareness of their existence and importance. Lynda has fulsome praise for Kevin and the teaching staff of her degree. Saying they helped her overcome her self-doubt as the oldest student in the class and encouraged her to keep going. Lynda's book is available for purchase at the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens Giftshop .
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