The exhibition is a creative exploration of both the devastation and regeneration of the bushland on Mount Canobolas following the bushfire of February 2018 that impacted 70 per cent of the mountain.

Developed by Orange Regional Museum, Orange Regional Gallery, and the SPARKE Learning Network, the 'Regenerate' project involved students and teachers at 14 public primary schools in and around Orange.

When the project began in January 2020, we thought the devastating Black Summer bushfire season was the key event that would shape Australia and our community over the next 12 months.

In response, we developed an art making and environmental education project that could be a catalyst for learning about some of the positive ways the Australian bushland responds to fire.

As we continued the project into March, it became clear that the coronavirus pandemic was emerging as a new challenge that would impact all of us for several months to come.

The Gallery and Museum subsequently developed a suite of online learning resources and take home activity packs with more activities for kids to learn in a COVID-safe way about the unique plants and animals that call Mt Canobolas home. These online learning resources are still available to download for free from the Museum website's Learning Resources page.

We've loved having the work of thousands of students from 14 schools hanging in the Museum as part of 'Regenerate'.

We've enjoyed sharing images and stories on social media to keep in touch with the students, teachers and families who participated in the project during COVID-19 shutdowns, and then meeting so many families who have visited 'Regenerate' since the Museum reopened once government restrictions eased in early June.

'Regenerate' closes at 4pm this Sunday 16 August.

Once we farewell 'Regenerate', we'll be installing a new exhibition in this gallery.

'Inherit: old and new histories' explores the history of the Central West and will be opening on Saturday 5 September.

Until then, the rest of the Museum will continue to be open 9am-4pm daily, with 'Code Breakers: Women in Games' touring from the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) showing in our temporary exhibition space.

For more information on 'Regenerate' or our upcoming exhibitions, visit www.orange.nsw.gov.au/museum or contact us by email at museum@orange.nsw.gov.au or by phone on 6393 8444.