Species Hotel

This artworks serves as a habitation for human, bird, marsupial, and insect life. Alongside its function as a 'species hotel', its secondary function is as an abstract 'drawing' in the landscape: a colour-field referring to local flowers, that creates a pattern within and counterpoint to the landscape.

The core of the work is an environmental structure often described as an 'insect hotel'. Insects represent a vital but often overlooked element of the ecosystems of the Midlands region of Tasmania. The insect hotel consists of a cube of stacked wooden palettes, with branches, logs, twigs, and other organic debris densely packed within the frames.

Adjacent to the cube form is a smaller palette stack, also holding wooden debris, but with a solid upper surface. This functions as a bench for human visitors to the hotel.

One section of the cube stack is elevated, to support a sloping roof. Under the lower eave of this roof, small bushes attractive to local marsupials are planted. These encourage the use of the 'veranda' as a hiding place and shelter.

A series of these Species Hotels are arranged along the river, marking an informal walking track. Each hotel orientates so that the seat faces the river, while the yellow rooves are visible on approach and from the highway, highlighting the watercourse and the path to potential visitors.