Three decades ago, Bob Brown came up with the idea for an organisation that would buy and protect habitat for native wildlife forever. And so #BushHeritage was born. October marks #30YearsofBush🥳We’re sharing some key milestones with you across the month, so stay tuned!

Coppercups! Setting Kalbarri National Park ablaze at the moment #Pileanthus #Myrtaceae

New paper: ‘Prolific or precarious: a review of the status of Australian sandalwood’ - by Richard McLellan  / kaarnka (raven/crow - Martu), kingsleydixon, @D0CT0R_Dave doi.org/10.1071/RJ21017 Spoiler: It’s precarious (going extinct in the wild) Via The Rangelands Journal Aus Rangeland Soc CSIRO Publishing 1/6

Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) is highly threatened, but also highly-valued commercially, and as a result has been over-harvested, and extirpated across much of its range in southern/western Australia Map by AliceJamesWildArt #SantalaceaeScience 2/6

175 years of over-harvesting have seen millions of old-growth sandalwood ripped from their ecosystems (without consideration of their ecological or cultural value), mainly for use in incense or cosmetic products (perfumes, etc). Image: Battye Library #SantalaceaeScience 3/6

There have been repeated warnings to the WA Government, mainly from its own conservation & forestry agency staff, that sandalwood is threatened, not regenerating, & ‘facing collapse’ in the wild. consultation.epa.wa.gov.au/seven-day-comm… Graphic: AliceJamesWildArt Source: FPC. #SantalaceaeScience 4/6

Australian sandalwood populations are now predominantly old trees aged between 100 & 200 years, with rarely any younger trees or seedlings, but many dead & dying individuals. They need urgent government intervention to prevent their extinction in the wild. #SantalaceaeScience 5/6

We recommend: - Santalum spicatum being listed as a threatened species. - Harvesting being transitioned to plantations. - Aboriginal Rangers employed to restore sandalwood on Country. For more: doi.org/10.1071/RJ21017 Via Aus Rangeland Soc CSIRO Publishing #SantalaceaeScience 6/6

Last day to vote for #BirdOfTheYear Guess who gets my vote? Here is a quick illustration of a fluffy young Tawny Frogmouth. You can vote here: theguardian.com/environment/ng…

Goodbye 2021, you have been a little bit prickly, like this festive looking Parrot Bush (Banksia sessilis) but there have been some wonderful moments throughout the year too. Wishing everyone a wonderful year in 2022, one full of love, health and happiness. Alice xx #SciArt

Finished this Red-tailed Black Cockatoo couple today, such handsome birds! #drawing #birdart #cockatoo #australia

Something a little different… I don’t know much about moths but my best guess is that this little one is a Heliotrope Moth, Utetheisa pulchelloides, as it has 5 orange marks along margin. #illustration #art #sciart #scicomm #wildoz

I drew this from a photo I took of a gorgeous dancing Euc during a very quick stretch break on a WA wheatbelt road trip. I didn’t spend enough time identifying it, which drives me mad, I am maybe thinking E. torquata?!? 🙈 #sciart #scicomm #wildoz

I love Tawny Frogmouths, seriously, they always seem like they are not impressed with a joke that everyone else thinks is funny (or that they just don’t want to be at ‘the party’). With their soft plumage & huge eyes, they are stunning camouflage experts #sciart #scicomm #wildoz

Wip 🪶🪶 #wildoz #birdart

These amazing red flowering gums (Corymbia ficifolia) grow naturally near Albany in south Western Australia but are often planted as street trees around the world - they are so spectacular! They also take my vote for 2022’s #EucalyptOfTheYear Eucalypt Australia - Archived #friendsofficifolia

Happy #NationalEucalyptDay ❤️🧡💛

The Cowslip Orchid is one of the most common orchids in WA and one of the brightest. This is Caladenia flava subspecies. maculata, distinguished from the 3 other subspecies by the number of teeth on the labellum and their lemon colour. #sciart #scicomm #wildoz

Banksia flowers spikes like on this Banksia prionotes (Acorn Banksia) are mesmerising from the top, with their flowers symmetrically opening from bottom to the top. #illustration #art #sciart #scicomm #wildoz

❤️My wedding bouquet. I absolutely loved drawing this one ❤️ #illustration #art #botanicart