24 July 2024
A tapestry depicting some of Sutherland’s rarest species was unveiled at Sutherland Agricultural show last weekend.
The ‘Sutherland Stitchers’, a group of artists based in Sutherland, embarked upon the embroidery project in collaboration with conservation programme, Species on the Edge, to raise awareness of internationally rare and at risk flora and fauna found on Scotland’s east coast.
Species on the Edge, funded by The National Lottery heritage Fund, is a partnership of eight conservation organisations, bringing together expertise, resources and staff from across the sector to secure a future for some of Scotland’s rarest and most vulnerable coastal species. Local Species on the Edge officers are working closely with communities across seven landscape-scale project areas across Scotland to support them in conserving their local biodiversity.
The tapestry featured: Arctic tern; bordered brown lacewing; common tern; little tern; northern brown argus butterfly; purple oxytropis; and the small blue butterfly.
Many of these species are found in difficult to reach areas or are tiny and hard to find meaning many communities are unaware of their existence. Through their detailed observations and fine needlework, the Sutherland Stitches are bringing these species to the masses.
The tapestry will be on display at Dornoch Museum throughout September and October. It is then going tour in local museums, community halls and schools along the east coast to help raise awareness of these endangered species and the importance of our fragile coastal habitats.
Tracy Munro, Species on the Edge Project Officer, said: “The current bio-diversity crisis around us can at times leave us feeling overwhelmed; crashing bird numbers, plummeting declines in insect populations, rising sea levels and record-breaking temperatures around the globe are but a few of the headlines thrown our way. Normally the way for me to cope with this and achieve mental equilibrium would be to spend time in nature, away from people and enjoy the wildlife around me. Working with this lovely craft group though has opened my eyes to a very different way of connecting with nature. The skill of the stitchers and the way they bring the species to life, you can just feel the rushing of the air over your head as an Artic Tern swoops elegantly past. The stitchers allow you to feel the flow of nature around you and not just observe it.”
Sally, who helped design the tapestry, said: “I was delighted to help design the Species on the Edge tapestry. It was a big learning curve sewing the six species that we were wanting to feature. I found it fascinating to learn through the project about these species and the importance of their survival in this area. As a professional artist, I have so enjoyed working on this project, and the wonderful interaction with the very skilled team of Sutherland Stitchers.”
Barbara, one of the Sutherland Stitchers, said: “I have always loved stitching in various different forms and this tapestry has been a special project to work on with our small group. I enjoyed the combination of the challenge of the precision needed for the species and the freedom we could have with the background.”
Anne, who also worked on the project, said: “I have always enjoyed arts and crafts and to be able to combine this with the ecology of Dornoch has been wonderful. I had not done embroidery for quite a long time so it was a real joy to pick it up again with lots of help from Youtube and the rest of the group.”
