Spectacular images of nature on display

A photography exhibition of spectacular nature images from around the world is on at the University of Wollongong Library.

Some of the places featured in the photos include Antarctica, the Northern Territory, the Great Barrier Reef, Malaysia, Japan, China and the USA.

Diversity - Images of Nature is a collection by four members and associates of the UOW Institute for Conservation Biology (ICB) – Associate Professor Sharon Robinson, Julie Wright, Liz Tasker and Andrew Netherwood.

“This exhibition is supported by ICB because it highlights the amazing diversity and fragility of nature and our hope that through conservation they will be preserved in their natural environment,” Director of ICB, Associate Professor Sharon Robinson said.

“We want to share these images with the public at large in the hope that our interest in conservation biology will inspire others.”

The show is underpinned by scientific research, but the images also reflect a fascination with how animals and plants manage to survive and flourish in an incredible range of environments around the world.

“Obviously our research interests inform the type of pictures that we take and our perspective on nature, so we hope that the exhibition presents a window into our research passions,” Associate Professor Robinson said.

For example Associate Professor Robinson’s research in Antarctica examines how climate change is impacting the tiny plants that cling to the edge of the icy, desert continent. She says that these are fascinating communities, but most visitors to Antarctica miss them because they are so small.

The exhibition opened today (Tuesday February 17) and will run until March 6.

Last reviewed: 17 February, 2009