Welcome to another habitat illustration in my series!

This illustration of a nature preserve—created using a blend of watercolor, colored pencils and collage techniques—presents a vibrant, lively forest scene full of detailed textures and diverse wildlife. This was inspired by a recent hike I did in The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor where we saw these wonderful creatures in this beautiful habitat!

The scene centers around a gently winding stream that flows around and through lush green meadows and a dense forest in the background with flora and fauna collage elements giving a slightly raised, 3D effect.

I included a mix of conifers and deciduous trees, added grasses, small shrubs, grasses, flowers and mushrooms to fill the forest floor. I also added rocks and ripples in the stream to create depth, a turtle hanging out on a fallen log and a frog leaping.

The composition is teeming with wildlife, each animal individually cut and pasted, giving a slightly raised, three-dimensional effect, from an egret wading at the water’s edge, a deer standing nearby, a mink scurrying across a fallen log covered with mushrooms, two wild turkey roaming a grassy area, a blue jay in flight, a woodpecker clinging to a tree, a monarch and dragonfly hovering above the water, and owl perched high in the tree.

The soft watercolor textures, three-dimensional collage elements, flowing transitions and natural color palette create a whimsical, handcrafted charm reminiscent of children’s book illustrations or educational posters.

I wanted to convey a scene of layered details of a healthy, diverse forest habitat, leaving the viewer with a peaceful experience to discover this ecological richness.

Check out my other illustrations in this eco system series: Woodlands Map, Marsh Wetlands, Shoreline, and a Marsh.

Stay tuned for the next one in this series!