BE EMPOWERED
In 2023 Sorrel was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, allowing her to travel abroad; chasing specimens of species our small island has lost to extinction. It was an incredible journey, tinged of course with sadness... but also a remarkable privilege. A chance for her to reframe the future, by revisiting the past. An opportunity to highlight just how fragile our natural environment is and the need to ensure history is not repeated. We need to work together to protect what's left of our biodiversity, to conserve it for future generations to enjoy.
“As our climate changes and invasive species become more prolific, we need to be increasingly vigilant to ensure the survival of what’s left of our natural environment. Whether individually or collectively, we must strive to be the reason a threatened species is protected. Or the reason our native forests thrive. Pick a cause, and throw your support behind those who advocate for the wild… for a greener planet, a cleaner ocean, a better life.”
Type Specimens collected by Ferdinand Bauer
Melky weed, Exoecaria agollocha and Ida McComish's drawing of it
Collector's note and nest of the White-chested White-eye, Zosterops albogularis (extinct)
Grey-Headed Guava Bird, Turdus poliocephalus poliocephalus (extinct)
Egg collection, Norfolk Island Starling, Aplonis fusca (extinct)
Norfolk Island Kaka, Nestor productus (extinct)
Norfolk Island Kaka, Nestor productus (extinct)
Norfolk Island Pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae spadicea
White-chested White-eye, Zosterops albogularis (extinct) lying on a first day cover
Norfolk Island Kaka, Nestor Productus (extinct) with a "Lost Birds" first day cover
Bauer's taxidermied Pacific Black Duck, Anas superciliosa
Grey-Headed Guava Bird, Turdus poliocephalus poliocephalus (extinct) with an apropriation of James Stuart's watercolour of the species
Crimson Speckled Footman,