After the fire - art from the ashes of Upton Heath

The shock felt by local people following last month’s fire on Upton Heath has been expressed in a unique painting by one local woman. Artist Judith Opsblum, who lives in Corfe Mullen, has created a stark image of the devastated nature reserve following the blaze, using charcoal from the burnt remains of heathland plants. Now Judith has donated her painting to Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Upton Heath appeal to restore the damaged habitat to its former wildlife-rich glory.

Art from the ashes

Andy Fale, Dorset Wildlife Trust Warden, said: “People have been very upset by the effects of the fire and their strong support for our work at this time has been fantastic. Judith’s extraordinary piece of art is a great expression of the impact it has had and now it will help us to restore the heath and the diverse wildlife that relies on it.”

Like many local residents, Judith visited the heath shortly after the fire with her children and the family was very distressed at the sight of the blackened landscape on their regular dog-walking route. They were so upset that she resolved to do something to help. Judith’s painting, which she has named ‘After the Fire’ is being auctioned on ebay by Dorset Wildlife Trust for the recently launched Upton Heath Appeal.

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.”

How can I bid on this artwork?

The auction runs for 10 days from Saturday 23rd July, click this link to make a bid!

You can find out more about the fire and the appeal, which is exclusively for restoration of Upton Heath 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.

Read our Blog "Wildlife Matters"

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.

 After the Fire painting of Upton Heath, Judith Opsblum

On the heath with Andy Fale, Nigel Brooks and Judith Opsblum