Island of Biodiversity (oil on canvas, 5 x 7 in.) Sold

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31 May finds me at the edge of a cornfield, painting the view down rows of young corn toward an island-shape of trees, one of the corridors of woods that are so essential to healthy biodiversity in a landscape inhabited by people. To me, this island shape represents the well-forested North Russell red shale hill as it rises from the flat, intensively-farmed landscape that surrounds it.

There are fields of red soil here indeed, growing corn and
alfalfa and other crops, with orchards and grazing cattle, but the drains and ditches are more often forested here on the red shale hill, the woodlots are larger, and with them are springs and vernal pools and little wetlands. This area used to be called "Spring Hill" and I'm not sure what it might be that has inspired folks to retain enough of the old forests, the wooded corridors, and little wetlands that all together make for that balance called biodiversity.


Comments

  1. Kay L. DaviesJune 12, 2012 at 1:36 AM

    Oh, so pretty, Aleta.
    We are undergoing renovations here in our little hobbit house in the bottom righthand corner of Alberta, and I'm thinking I'd like to treat myself to an original Aleta Karstad when I've payed all the plumbers, electricians, floor layers, etc.
    K

    ReplyDelete

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