Her latest artwork, a portrait of Billabong Zoo's snow leopard Samarra, has been selected into the 2021 Artists for Conservation exhibition and book.

Artists for Conservation is the world's leading group of artists dedicated to supporting the environment through their work.

"The invitation to be a signature member of Artists for Conservation was indeed an honour. It is the largest world-wide group committed to supporting nature through art," Linda said.

"On a personal level, for many years it has enabled me to combine artistic expression with my love of the natural world.

"I'm most grateful for Billabong Zoo and for their support of vulnerable and endangered animals."

Linda has been working alongside Billabong Zoo to help raise awareness about conservation for a number of years.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to observe the zoo's ambassadors for wildlife, to appreciate and come to understand the uniqueness of each one. So it is that these observations have become drawings and grown into subjects for a series of Billabong Portraits."

Billabong Zoo owners Mark and Danena Stone said Linda has been a great support to the zoo.

"We first met Linda many years ago when she presented us with some of her beautiful artwork to offer for sale in our gift shop," Mark said.

"After getting to know this very humble and talented woman I knew straight away we would continue a long relationship through her love for animals.

"It was important to Linda that the proceeds of the sale of her artworks were donated to one of the conservation groups that we support. And there started a great partnership for a good cause."

Mark said continued support and awareness for threatened species in any form is important for their survival.

"The tentacles of support by people, no matter how small, for vulnerable species throughout the world are so important on so many levels. Linda is doing this through her art for the snow leopards as she does for the cheetahs and the Cheetah Trust," Mark said.

Billabong Zoo have been supporters of the Snow Leopard Trust since 2004 and have also financed the placement of two cameras in the field to assist researchers in gaining further knowledge about the location and behaviour of the threatened species.

There are also Snow Leopard Trust products for sale in the Billabong Zoo gift shop which are handmade by people in villages situated near the habitats of snow leopards.

"These products not only provide income for the villages facilitated by the Snow Leopard Trust but allow the trust to educate the villages about the importance of the conservation of the snow leopard through better managing the relationship between them and the animal," Mark said.

"To protect their herds and livelihoods, herders sometimes kill snow leopards in retribution. This may account for more than half of all snow leopard killings."

Billabong Zoo prides itself on being ambassadors for wildlife and aims to advocate for conservation through education.

The zoo currently cares for 10 animal species on the IUCN-World Conservation Union's Red List of threatened species and regularly highlights the plight of these animals and promotes the work of organisations doing their part to save and protect threatened species.

Locals can purchase greeting cards and framed or unframed prints of Linda's work from the Billabong Zoo gift shop, will all proceeds donated to the Snow Leopard Trust.

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