Woodlands, Forests, Life
From an early age, David Wong has had a love of nature and exploring the bushland areas close to where he has lived. Woodlands, Forests, Life is part of a broader 2022 Eucalypt Australia Dahl Fellowship project which explores the different facets of eucalypt ecosystems – their diversity and uniqueness; their conservation; and the people working to understand, restore and protect them.
The work in Woodlands, Forests, Life spans around a decade. Images of nature focus on nearby nature reserves such as Bruce Ridge and Black Mountain Nature Reserve. During his daily lunchtime escapes from the office in the past few years, David has explored the eucalypt forest at Bruce Ridge as it unfolds, moment by moment, day by day, and year by year. Earlier work focussed an area of Black Mountain that was close to where he lived.
Part of the work is drawn from David’s experience working for an environmental NGO at a time when a major urban development (Ginninderry) was evolving. It was during this time that the impacts of ‘death-of-a-thousand cuts’ development were inescapable. At the same time, he has met many passionate volunteers and community members who aim to make a difference to protect the natural areas that remain or draw inspiration from nature.