An exhibition stimulating discussion about biodiversity and the impact of climate change using the medium of botanical art to tell a story through imagery

Earlier in 2021 ABBA The Association of British Botanical Artists invited its members to submit work for a digital exhibition titled:

“REFLECTIONS no plants – no planet” inspired by COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

COP26 had 6 major themes and the one that was relevant to the exhibition was:

Nature – to safeguard and restore natural habitats and ecosystems to preserve the planet’s biodiversity.

The title of the exhibition was chosen in order that artists would reflect on the role their chosen plant or plants play in maintaining the planet’s biodiversity when under threat from a changing climate.  Each artist was asked to accompany their submission with a 50-word description explaining the background to their choice of plant.

I decided to choose an illustration of an Ash tree for my submission as the ash tree is in real danger from Ash Dieback.   Ash die back is a fungus (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), introduced to Europe about 30 years ago. It has devastated the European ash (Fraxinus excelsior).  The UK was importing thousands of ash plants from infected parts of Europe until a ban was put in place in 2012. The fungus travels on the wind and it is certain that the disease was spread from areas of new planting to mature trees.

Ash dieback will kill up to 90% of ash trees across the UK having a devastating impact on our landscape changing it forever. The loss of so many trees will not only affect the biodiversity of our woodlands but threaten many of the species which rely on ash. The cost to British Society of managing tree ash die back is high, estimated to be in the region of £15 billion to clear up dead and dying trees plus the loss of their environmental role in air purification.

It was difficult to decide how best to illustrate Ash Dieback and its impact.

I made numerous studies of ash trees and took lots of photographs. The more I looked the more I realised just how many trees are dead and dying

The finished artwork below I hope represents the impact that ash die back is having on our landscape

Climate change is accelerating the spread of pathogens and tree diseases and the loss of many native species and habitats.

There are approximately 150 million Ash trees in the UK, and it is estimated that we could lose 90% to Ash Dieback devastating our landscape and woodland biodiversity.

All the paintings submitted for this exhibition are available to see on the exhibition gallery on the ABBA website www.britishbotanicalartists.com whilst 60 of the submissions were chosen to be shown on a digital display screen in the Shirley Sherwood gallery at Kew. I was delighted to have my illustration chosen to be part of the Kew exhibition.

The exhibition is running until March 2022

Maggy Fitzpatrick 2021