[Pollinator] Fwd: May Gibbs online story now started on State Library of NSW website

[Peter Bernhardt]

Dear Colleagues:

The State Library of New South Wales, Australia) is in the process of
digitizing the illustrations of children's author and cartoonist, May Gibbs
(1877-1969).

http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/society_art/gibbs/index.html

Although she was born in Kent, May Gibbs lived most of her life in Western
Australia and in new South Wales.  The main characters in her stores are
anthropomorphic flowers and fruits based on genera native to Australia
(*Eucalyptus,
Acacia, Banksia, Boronia* etc.).  What may be of particular interest to
educators in the northern hemisphere is that she had a keen eye for the
insects found on leaves and flowers.  Entomologists have been able to
identify illustrations of her beetles and ants down to genus.  This
includes the cases made by bag worm moths (go to link).

The state library has received most of the funds to digitize all her
illustrations so this link should grow and grow.  I have one of her books
in which a gumnut baby rides a bee and suddenly realized it was *Amegilla
bombiformis*.  One wonders if our organizations should become involved in
an illustrative project that would make anthophilous insects more
accessible (and less menacing) to children?

Sincerely, Peter Bernhardt
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