Artist in residence for Tree Sense/At Eich Coed project & exhibition,
                                                              in collaboration with The Pontio Centre and Bangor University 
                                                                                             01/02/23 - 03/03/23

Nearly one in three tree species are at risk of extinction due to environmental impacts cause by humans. The Menai Whitebeam tree (Cerddin Menai) illustrates the plight of many other tree species currently at risk of extinction. There are 30 existing Menai Whitebeam in the wild, located at the Nantporth Nature reserve, clinging to the limestone outcrops that crumble into the Menai Strait.

This project aims to explore and creatively interpret the habitat of this small community of survivors. Through researching conservation and bio-banking techniques applied to endangered species, mapping out the surrounding habitat of the surviving community of trees, taking inspiration from victorian amateur naturalist culture set against a contrasting aesthetic of a sterile lab environment.

The rise of amateur surveying in conservation and easy access to citizen science techniques online can be a useful resource in conservation. It is only through curiosity and understanding our environment that we can learn to become caretakers of our landscapes, securing the future of our delicate ecosystems and ensuring it's biodiversity is there for future generations to enjoy.

Techniques such as biobanking plant tissues and storing the seeds in dedicated seedbanks are a way to ensure the possibility of species revival in the future. But what is species revival without record of the habitat in which they thrive?

Accompanying the interactive display for the Tree Sense exhibition I also conducted an an artist talk and an 'Adopt A Tree' workshop within the grounds of the gallery.
 
This work was inspired by the amazing conservation efforts for the Menai Whitebeam and its surrounding habitat in the Nantporth Nature Reserve conducted by Bangor University.
All items and materials in this display were already fallen or exposed by weathering and general maintenance and were returned to the Nantporth Nature Reserve at the end of this project.