Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria |
Merle Bennett, of Hopetoun WA, was
awarded an Order of Australia Medal in
June 2019, for service to conservation
and the environment. Merle has taken
on many worthy causes, but prominent
amongst them is her strong advocacy
for the Western Australian flora,
particularly in the Ravensthorpe region
and the iconic Fitzgerald National Park
(a world Biosphere).
In the 1990s Merle was the
driving force behind the Ravensthorpe
Wildflower Show and Herbarium,
which is widely known both nationally
and internationally. She has made over
1200 collections and many notable
observations for the Herbarium. Her
work has contributed greatly to the
appreciation of what is one of the most
diverse and unique floras in the world.
She also co-wrote two books about the region, has been a member of various environmental groups, and at 90 was still involved with Friends of the Fitzgerald River National Park and Birds Australia.
Source: Extracted from: Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show leaflet
https://wildflowersravensthorpe.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Ravensthorpe-Wildflower-Show-and-Spring-Festival-Programme-2019.pdf
Portrait Photo: Extracted from: https://www.kalminer.com.au/news/awardees-dedication-inspires-ng-b881225902z.
Data from 1,212 specimens