2nd December Therese Gabriel Wilkins travels out to Gwabegar School and Pilliga School to run workshops on the owls and also do owl art with the children at both schools.
3rd December - Therese travels back to Baradine Pilliga Forest Reserve to run artist talk, run Powerpoint on art production, owl sounds, tell dreamtime story on owls and work with children to draw owls and also watch documentary Wings of Silence by John Young.
4th December - Friday return to Baradine to prepare platters nibbles and set up for Afternoon Tea opening 3-4.30p.m.
Attendees at the opening Radio Presenter Rob Dean from Coonabarabran, journalist from Coonabarabran and Coonamble Times.
An amazing time with so much information on owls being shared with the local community and children with a feature on the Barking Owl which is the icon of the Pilliga and is threatened. The Barking owl is a Ninox Owl and is also known as the winking owl and it is very similar in features to a hawk. They need a wide range to survive and hunt and live in open forest lands. They rely on hollows to breed and raise their chicks. The Barking owl derives its name from the fact that its bark sounds similar to that of a dog.
In 2014 survey work was done and tracking and at that stage there were only 35 pairs of owls in the Pilliga region. Threats come from barbed wire fencing, pesticides, and the removal of old growth trees with hollows. If Barking owls are spotted then let Bird Life Australia know they have scientists who do data surveys and track to assist with the preservation of species.
The exhibition will be up at both venues and open every day except Christmas and New Years Days till the 29th January inclusive from 9 to 4p.m. so go along and view the show. All works are for sale so take an owl home with you.