Annette Bigby, Natural Decay - or is it? (ANIMAL & NATURE 2024)

On a walk in the Waitakere ranges, it was a cool Autumn day with few people about. The track I walked had no one on it - it was me, alone with native bush and birds. In these situations I like to take my time and look closely; find the pieces of the forrest which make up the whole picture. Look closely - isolate them. I found some natural beauty in the discarded leaves. Whilst these images show a natural process, I feel they could easily be a result of climate change and environment abuse. A Kawakawa leaf is eaten by a moth to give it it's holes; the green heart shape a symbol of loving the environment, the holes the destruction caused by climate change. The discarded Cabbage tree leaves, hanging - showing us depth to the despair and darkness if we don't save the environment. A dropped Fern leaf - natural, yes; once it was green and flourishing, now, the shades of brown which could be to come. And finally a balance, a small dead leaf on a solid green Fern frond, showing us with the right care and support, a little bit of natural brown is ok, as long as we have supported and protected everything which occurs naturally in the world.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.