Bushy Park Tarapuruhi
Whanganui
Woven. Artist: Lee Byford-Daynes
In This Light
Writer: Catherine Macdonald
In this light
the forest looks fresh, bright
every surface is alive,
the manu are busy.
There was rain the day before
but today there is sun above the canopy
filtering down.
The light changes as we move through
the shadows grow solid in places
the forest stills, suddenly thoughtful, waiting.
The sun’s still there, but hidden now.
Beyond, silver light plays on water
a lake formed by a slip.
Where ever you look there is a world, an ecosystem
you get the feeling that nothing is wasted
and everything is where it’s meant to be working together,
in this light.
Writer Catherine Macdonald
Just out of Whanganui among the fields there’s a patch of land marked off from the rest. It’s unsurprising to find fenced land in the countryside, but this fence is different. It not only stops cows from going where they’re not meant to be, it also stops rats, cats, rabbits, and possums.
Bushy Park Tarapuruhi has barely any grass and no farm crops, instead it is a rare example of the lowland native forest that once covered this area. The Sanctuary is home to Rātānui, a giant 800-year-old northern rātā, and an abundance of native birds, lizards, plants, and fungi live safely within its 4.7km predator-free fence.
When Lee and I visited, it was volunteer day, a twice weekly occurrence. The place is bustling with human activity, paths are being cleared, seedlings planted, feeding stations cleaned, and refilled, wasp traps refilled – there is a lot happening.
We get to accompany Fiona, a volunteer, who is cleaning and replenishing the hihi stitchbird feeding stations and it is a treat to be able to step off the public paths and head to the stations located further in the bush. While not large at 91ha, after walking a few metres, and turning around a couple of times to look for fungi, we lose our sense of direction in the dense bush.
Thank you to Fiona and forest sanctuary manager Mandy Brooke for hosting us. We left marvelling at the abundance of interconnected life in the forest and grateful to the community of people that are supporting it.
Woven
Artist: Lee Byford-Daynes
Artist: Lee Byford-Daynes
It has been a privilege to paint the magical beauty of Tarapuruhi Bushy Park.
Visiting with the writer Catherine, the amazing volunteers, and alone, I spent many hours wandering and absorbing the lightness of this place. It’s vibrant and lush with layers of life and rebirth.
The painting was created in transparent layers to convey this depth. With plants, insects, and birds weaving in and out of each other, I tried to create the circular narrative of their wild interconnectedness.
The play of light and shadow resonated with both Catherine and I, and the way light dances around spotlighting gems of fern frond, fungi, leaf tips, and bird’s eyes was at the heart of this work.
Medium: Oil on canvas, 60cmx60cm
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