‘Keep your coast clean’ – that’s the new year message of a brand new display at Wepre Park Visitor Centre co-ordinated and collected by Flintshire County Council’s Coastal Ranger, Alistair Hemphill, and artist, Rebecca Churchill.
The new display shows the shocking amount of plastics in the marine environment off Flintshire’s coast and encourages everyone to help look after the seas and rivers around Wales and Britain.
Incorporating works from the recent Artists in Nature project co-ordinated by Flintshire’s Arts Culture and Events Manager, Gwenno Jones, the exhibition also comprises of artwork and sculptures made entirely of driftline wood and plastics, from balloons, bottles, bottle tops and cigarette lighters to chip shop forks and fishing nets.
“It’s been a great opportunity to look at this real problem for our wildlife as plastics are killing or injuring birds and mammals around the world!” said residential artist Rebecca Churchill. “Working with community groups and schools to get the message across has been a great and rewarding experience and I would particularly like to thank Estuary Crafts, Flintshire Carers Group, Ysgol Maes Hyfryd and the Talacre Community”.
Coastal Ranger Alistair Hemphill said “An opportunity arose to use elements of Rebecca’s display from the Holywell Textile Mill and get the message across about our coast through the Visitor Centre at Wepre Park. Come down and have a look! Do the coastline quiz with the kids then relax with a coffee and a snack from our café.”
Flintshire’s Coastal Rangers are also actively delivering the Welsh Assembly’s coastal vision of a single footpath around Wales.
“We are not just about access improvements but we see the bigger conservation picture and would like to work with all Flintshire’s coastal communities,” said Mike Taylor, Senior Coastal Ranger. “The Wales Coastal Path project is seeing a marked decrease in fly tipping into the river Dee and our coast as more visitors enjoy the large scale environmental improvement along our shore.”
Further works are planned this year through the Artists in Nature project with a focus on Flintshire landscapes on the Dee estuary and the fishing and boating communities from Gronant to Saltney.
In partnership with the Coastal Rangers, the Arts, Culture and Events section of Flintshire County Council have coordinated a year long Art in Nature project, part funded by the Arts Council of Wales, looking at Talacre Beach and the Dee Estuary. Becky Churchill is the first of three artists who will be based along the Flintshire Coastline; painter Jan Gardner will be in residence from January to April 2011 and Clinton Challoner will be in residence making large wooden sculptures from April to July 2011.
For further information about the project please contact Gwenno Jones, Arts, Culture and Events Manager, on 01352 702471.
Coastal Rangers will be organising a Spring Holiday Craft day with driftwood and materials collected from the sea. For further information please contact Alistair Hemphill on 01244 814931.
