Wednesday 30 May 2012

Melbourne Museum Forest Gallery




Male Blue Satin Bower


Bower


Finch

Also known as Living Gallery...

"...Is alive with seasonal change - birds nest, flowers bloom and berries ripen. The local Kulin Aboriginal people have seven seasons marked by the life cycles of plants and animals. Have a privileged view of some forest animals inside a log, in the foliage or basking on the ground. Somewhere up in the trees is the Tawny Frogmouth, while tiny wrens and finches flit across the path and among the bushes. Listen carefully for the call of the male Satin Bowerbird trying to tempt the female into his blue decorated bower...

In a clearing huge timber poles come into view representing the impact of fire. Fire is a destructive force yet it is essential to regenerate the forest. A lone chimney reconstructed here following Black Saturday stands as a symbol of the devastation bushfire can cause, and a video display set within one of the blackened poles illustrates  both the destructive and regenerative effects of bushfire. Seating platforms double as displays exploring human attitudes and impacts on the forest. Understanding how people think of and use the bush is central to managing it wisely."




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