Drawing a Line in the Sand

ART FOR NATURE HITS THE BEACH

Following UKYouthForNature's (UKY4N) high profile 'NaturalKingdom: Wild Walls' creative art campaign in the run up to COP 26, the youth-led network is continuing to call on UK politicians to take urgent action to address the loss of nature and wildlife with 'NatureLoss: Lines in the Sand'.

Whilst 'Wild Walls' involved a series of permanent murals commissioned in cities and towns across Britain depicting local wildlife in decline, 'NatureLoss: Lines in the sand' was a one-off, temporary installation, designed in partnership with 'Sand in Your Eye' who created a one-off 50 metre drawing on 23rd March 2022 on one of mother nature's canvasses - namely Scarborough beach. The artwork, represented four biologically significant species in Britain, curlew, salmon, oak and beaver were carefully chosen for the wider ecological roles they play in the web of life. The campaign was a call to action to politicians and governments around the United Nations nature negotiations taking place in Geneva, Switzerland (14th - 29th March) and the already delayed UN Biodiversity Conference - a crunch summit to agree a new global deal to arrest biodiversity decline and the destruction of nature - which was due to be held in Kunming in China during April and May, but has now been postponed for a fourth time - until August 2022.

The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world and as the tide came in on Scarborough beach the waves symbolically washed away our shores and the vanishing wildlife ...

"For years we've seen nature remain one of governments' lowest priorities in the UK" said Talia Goldman - Co-Director, UK Youth for Nature. "When today's young people are older, some of the most iconic species of the British countryside could already have been lost forever. Our drawing is a loud and clear message to our governments: this year the UN biodiversity conference is a once in a decade chance to set new global nature goals. Take that chance, then act to meet those goals."

You can watch the creation of 'NatureLoss: Lines in the Sand' and find out more below:-