Wild Lines: we speak to wildlife

Wild Lines

Style of Wight first spoke to science writer, zoologist and conservation artist Jen Parker while she was living on Montserrat: a tiny green volcanic Island in the Caribbean about half the size of the Isle of Wight with a population about half as large as Cowes

Though the wildlife seen from our respectively remote office windows differed in tropicality (hummingbirds and doves vs. red squirrels and robins) the parallels of crossglobal Island life were nevertheless clear. “There is a very different sense of community on Islands, and of course Islands are where you often get the most biodiversity,” says Jen. An Isle of Wight girl, Jen credits her Island childhood with fuelling her passion for nature, talking with nostalgia of Gurnard sunsets, and fondness of her favourite Newport circular walk in the

‘Paradise Valley’ around Nunnery Lane and the Isle of Wight Deer Farm. At school, Jen’s love of science naturally progressed to the study of Zoology at University: “My dissertation on the effect garden bird feeders had on ground beetles involved digging up people’s gardens in the rain – which was very interesting, although slightly miserable!” Keen to graduate from the earth, she moved onto a Masters in Palaeoanthropology; this time, her thesis was on a two-million-year-old fossilised bees’ nest. By the end of that she decided the best thing she could do to make an immediate rather than academic difference to ecosystems was to go into conservation. Third time around, her studies – a Postgraduate Diploma in Endangered Species – took her to the altogether more exotic island of Mauritius, an experience which “really solidified my desire to push conservation communication; of course it’s important that scientists focus on individual species in their field work, but ultimately making a difference comes down to human behaviour.” Talking of the gap that often emerges between the dots between the practical on-the-ground conservation projects and global messaging, she explains: “We need people to care and feel connected to nature in order to want to make a difference.

Jen with her favourite drawing, the Asian Elephant, created from thousands of tiny dots

Opposite:

African wild dog: African wild dogs live in groups of up to 40, working together and sharing the care of pups and sick or wounded members Brazilian Tapir: Ecological engineers, Tapirs play an important role in dispersing seeds over long distances

‘I feel like we’re realising that we are part of nature, which of course is how we would’ve felt tens of thousands of years ago. People are starting to feel a bit more connected and appreciating even being able to go out for a walk in the woods – and also realising that we’re vulnerable to disease.’

With conservation, very often the messages you hear are very negative and a bit depressing.” Optimism and engagement are key to meaningful change, she says: “We have to feel as though we’re working towards a shared goal and that progress has been made.”

Back in the UK, it was while working as Senior Editor of a veterinary magazine in Oxford that Jen started drawing in her spare time, selling prints on her Instagram and at local craft markets. When the opportunity arose to accompany her conservationist partner on a project to reintroduce the critically endangered mountain chicken frog back into its native environment, she decided to pursue her wildlifeinspired artwork business more fully from afar. Montserrat’s lush rainforests and distinctive black sand beaches paint a rather dreamy lockdown backdrop upon which Jen was able to fi nally combine her twin passions of art and wildlife and reach a wider audience.

Using lines and dots to create illustrations of endangered species that are full of character and charm, Jen uses her social media platforms to speak out against destructive practices – from logging and deforestation, poaching to habitat degradation – that have contributed to her subject’s decline, as well as advocate for community conservation projects and sustainability initiatives. Refl ecting on a post-lockdown legacy, she is hopeful: “I feel like we’re realising that we are part of nature, which of course is how we would’ve felt tens of thousands of years ago. People are starting to feel a bit more connected and appreciating even being able to go out for a walk in the woods – and also realising that we’re vulnerable to disease. People don’t necessarily want to carry on with life as it was before – driving to work, driving home, coming home, seeing your family briefl y, thinking about work, going to bed, starting again. I’m so lucky that I can do what I want to do wherever I want to be and not have to be in an offi ce.”

For now, Jen is back on the Isle of Wight, rediscovering the nature on her childhood doorstep: “When I come back to the UK I always notice the things that you don’t when you’re there all the time – I’m always shocked at how big pigeons are!” Her next stop – St. Lucia – might not have any pigeons, but does have a variety of threatened species which will undoubtedly feature in Jen’s future work.

To find out more about the endangered species drawn by Jen, and to purchase her delightfully detailed artwork, visit: www.wildlines.art Instagram: @wildlines.art

Above:

Aye Aye: Aye Aye, the coolest lemur by far, were once thought to be associated with witchcraft

Below:

Ring-tailed lemur: Fluffy, prancing ring-tailed lemurs are found only in Madagascar