'I worry for my grandkids' GIGS Art Gallery exhibition connects people and their environment

"Yes, I do think it's the beginning of destruction," she said.

"I've got four granddaughters and I worry about them. I'll be dead, but God knows what will be there for them.

"We've destroyed our planet."

Zei's work for Nature and Us depicts the degradation of the Great Barrier Reef, plastic pollution, fish kills in the Darling River, and climate change.

She is one of six artists who have focused on environmental issues for the exhibition, which aims to inform but also inspire.

While the issue might be overwhelming for many, the driver behind the project hopes to direct concern into passion and action.

"This is more than an exhibition, this is how you can connect, and do something," Marta Lett said.

"We have information about species and from groups like WIRES that people can take."

Lett has previously created a series of works about Australian owls and sought to expand the display.

"I moved to the area just under two years ago, and I had most of this body of work of owls that I did in a previous project," she said.

"It needed to go with a group of other artists, so I put a call-out through the members at the gallery and five responded.

"Each artist brought their own take and experience in the work they do.

"This exhibition is all about threatened species, plants and animals.

"We're all environmentalists, so we have concerns there, and a lot of research has been done by each artist to put information alongside each of the works."

It was tied into the Upstream Festival and included presentations about habitat protection.

Zei said the talks had been well-received.

"I was here on Sunday night and we had massive crowds coming through, one of the comments that really stayed with me was that the atmosphere was phenomenal, with all the works married well," she said.

"We have stories with all our paintings.

"I've been in Albury eight years now and I've seen a great change climate-wise and with the river."

Tracie MacVean, who does advocacy with the Thurgoona Community Action Group, has presented realistic ink works of vulnerable species.

"Whenever I do a painting, I research the animal and make sure I know what I'm doing," she said.

"In these works are species like the sloane's froglet, lace monitor, tawny frogmouth and the chequered cuckoo bee."

Pat Welch's art features natural Border settings and Judy Balfour's work depicts to-scale drawings of animals.

Marie van Lint draws on visits to Nail Can Hill as a botanical artist.

"It's a pity when you see them cutting down trees in places like Thurgoona, because we need to protect old trees," she said.

Lett said it was a pleasure to see the exhibition come together after having talks with the Upstream Festival committee.

"We all really wanted to make sure we had something spectacular, something really strong to be in here for that festival," she said.

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"We had people who came specifically for those talks, so that was wonderful.

"Something people could really get engaged with.

"You can come in here and view this on many different levels.

"Presenting this information gives something people can do, and shows what we have here where we live."

Nature and Us: Reconnecting with our plants and animals runs until March 29.