Pearl Barry has painted a native McCann’s skink on a Chorus cabinet near the Half Mile Reserve in Alexandra.
The University of Otago student, who is studying for a master’s of science in ecology, said the mural features a McCann’s skink atop a schist outcrop embraced by the climbing vines of New Zealand jasmine (Parsonsia heterophylla).
In a media release from the Central Otago District Council, she said her master’s research led her into the mountains and gullies of Central Otago, where she encountered some of the six gecko species and 11 skink species native to the region.
The McCann’s skink is a fairly common skink that can be seen where there is good shelter to hide from invasive predators such as mice, rats, cats, stoats, and hedgehogs, or where trapping is taking place.
As a life-long artist and ecologist, Ms Barry said she was always looking for creative opportunities to make ecological knowledge accessible to communities where it matters most.
"My hope is that the mural inspires curiosity about the native animals and plants of Central Otago, and that folks who pass by it stop and explore Half Mile Reserve to witness its transformation into a haven for native wildlife."
This is the final mural of the 2023 Chorus cabinet art round, in which four cabinets were turned into works of art. They are in Cromwell, Galloway, Roxburgh and this one, in Aronui Rd in Alexandra, near the intersection with Old Golf Course Rd.
