Intimate Reminder

Depicted is a pair of one of the Canadian Grasslands most iconic birds of prey, the Burrowing Owl. Due to habitat loss and other factors, this species is currently on the decline in Canada. By becoming aware of the issues that impact these owls and other wild species can incline us to take action, which brings hope for a bright future and the rebound of many wildlife populations, including this Owl species. Protruding from the dirt in the burrow is the distal portion of a Bison humerus, likely coming from a wild Bison which roamed the Great Plains as part of the enormous herds that existed not so many years ago. When the Bison were almost all but vanished, they were brought back from the brink of extinction and are now being re-introduced into the wild in many areas of North America. I added the Bison bone into the painting to act as a reminder of this remarkable conservation story, and to remind all of us that it is never to late to act on conservation issues in any way that we can.