A week ago, I travelled up to the North of England for a conference in Harrogate on Thursday, but stayed the night before in York. On the walk from the station to the hotel, I passed this magnificent beetle piece by ATM. I have to say it was the last thing I expected to see in York, and I think it might be one of the few pieces of street art in the city, but somehow I got lucky and found it.
ATM is a bit of a specialist in wildlife and conservation murals, and this tansy beetle piece is no exception. It is painted on Tansy House, and highlights the plight of this once widespread beetle in the UK that is now restricted to a few pockets of wetlands, including the area around York. The tansy beetle is named after the plant, which is associated with wetland habitats.
When we hear stories about the decline in wildlife in the UK, this is exactly what we are talking about. The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and much of the loss is due to habitat loss, and the emergence of intensive agriculture after the second world war. A better balance between farming and nature needs to be achieved, if we want to see nature thrive once again. We are nothing without the natural systems around us that support our life and wellbeing.
Natural adventures 