'After the Fire' art in Corfe Mullen

A striking piece of art depicting Upton Heath after June’s devastating blaze has gone to a local home, following an auction in aid of the Upton Heath Appeal.   The art work was created by Corfe Mullen artist Judith Opsblum, using charcoal from the burnt remains of heathland plants.  Judith donated the work, named ‘After the Fire’, to Dorset Wildlife Trust to help raise money to restore the damaged habitat. 

More about the art

Judith said: “I just wanted to help in any way I could.  It seemed fitting to use a piece of charcoal from the fire to create a picture of the devastation, to try to make something good out of something so bad.”

‘After The Fire’, was bought by local Councillor Susan Jefferies, who lives in Beacon Road adjacent to the heath.  The £107 raised will go towards the Upton Heath Appeal to restore the burnt area to its former wildlife-rich glory.  The picture is on public display in the village’s ‘Corfe Coffee’ café in Wareham Road, kindly loaned by Mrs Jefferies to raise awareness among local residents.

Art for all to see

Alastair Cook, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “We are delighted that the painting has raised over one hundred pounds towards the Upton Heath appeal and it seems fitting that a local person has purchased it.  It was good of Susan Jefferies to organise its display in the Corfe Coffee café and we are hoping to be able to use the painting in future heathland educational programmes.”

For more information about the fire or to support the appeal, click here.  

-ENDS-
Notes to Editor

For more information please contact Nicky Hoar at Dorset Wildlife Trust on 01305 264620.

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About Dorset Wildlife Trust www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Working for a secure future for Dorset’s wildlife enriching the quality of life Dorset Wildlife Trust works to champion wildlife and natural places, to engage and inspire people and to promote sustainable living. Founded in 1961, DWT is now the largest voluntary nature conservation organisation in Dorset, with over 25,000 members and over 40 nature reserves. Most are open daily and there are visitor centres providing a wealth of wildlife information at Brooklands Farm, Lorton Meadows, Kingcombe Meadows and Brownsea Island Nature Reserves, The Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve and the Urban Wildlife Centre at Upton Heath Nature Reserve. DWT plays a key role in dealing with local environmental issues and leads the way in establishing the practices of sustainable development and engaging new audiences in conservation, particularly in the urban areas.

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The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) www.wildlifetrusts.org

There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK and the Isle of Man and Alderney. All are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. We have more than 800,000 members including 150,000 members of our junior branch Wildlife Watch. Our vision is to create A Living Landscape and secure Living Seas. We manage around 2,300 nature reserves and every year we advise thousands of landowners and organisations on how to manage their land for wildlife. We also run marine conservation projects around the UK, collecting vital data on the state of our seas and celebrating our amazing marine wildlife. Every year we work with thousands of schools and our nature reserves and visitor centres receive millions of visitors. Each Wildlife Trust is working within its local communities to inspire people about the future of their area: their own Living Landscapes and Living Seas.

Artist Judith Opsblum and Councillor Susan Jefferies - Dorset Wildlife Trust