What a week! It started with a birthday—yes, another rotation around the sun, and yes, cake was absolutely involved. I’ve watched bats swoop by at sunset, seen shooting stars from the Perseid meteor shower, and spent precious time with people I love dearly. I felt very blessed all week, from the cards and well wishes to the glorious late-August sunshine that celebrated with me.

This lovely week also featured the launch of the Champion Species Collection, a project that’s been very close to my heart for some time now. On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending a launch event at the Wild Fox Distillery to officially usher this labour of love out into the world. It was a wonderful feeling to finally release it, knowing my work on it is done and it’s now out there for all to see.

The collection features 14 different collectable pin badges, each one showcasing a Champion Species of the Forest of Bowland. There is also a set of 14 collectable postcards, an A2 poster, and finally, a reproduction of my sketchbook that reveals the behind-the-scenes process of the project.

I’ve been working with M, who helped me get the point-of-sale stands ready so everything had a “home.” We designed these stands to display the full range of 14 badges, along with postcards and art books. We also created bespoke wooden baskets to hold the rolled-up posters, and I even managed to find a quirky A2 picture frame for the poster.

Hetty from the Forest of Bowland National Landscape spoke beautifully about the project’s purpose: to raise vital funds for the conservation of the 14 champion species. We’re talking about local legends like the Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus), a glorious raptor that is a symbol of the moorlands; the Yellow May Dun (Heptagenia sulphurea); the hardy Juniper (Juniperus communis); and the exquisite Green Hairstreak Butterfly (Callophrys rubi).

It was a privilege to stand back and watch the project take flight. After months of work, it’s a humbling feeling to pass the baton and cross my fingers that it has a positive impact on an area I feel very passionately about. To celebrate, the distillery treated us to a gin tasting, and we got to sample some of the most exquisite Eccles cakes I’ve ever tasted, courtesy of Bowland Bay Food. It was a perfect way to send the project off into the world, surrounded by good people, good food, and great gin.

With the badges now launched, I’m looking forward to new projects and carving out some space for something different. Don’t get me wrong, commissions are a blessing, but there’s a unique joy in grabbing some self-directed time where I can just let my creativity run free. It’s a safe space for magic to happen and to have a bit of fun along the way.

The Cusp of Autumn

So, as one chapter closes, another begins. The signs of autumn are here too, and the days are noticeably shorter—nearly two hours less daylight than at the start of the month. My tomatoes are giving their final hurrah, but my peppers are just hitting their stride. The unseasonable heat has led to a very early harvest of our fruit bushes, with blackberries and raspberries coming in weeks ahead of normal. Some local trees have even shed leaves and branches as a survival mechanism. It’s a strange sight. A recent article mentioned the UK has received only 71% of its average rainfall for the season so far, and while more research is needed, these disruptions are a sign of increasingly extreme weather linked to climate breakdown.

It can be a puzzle to observe. My garden is still singing its late summer song. The cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) are putting on a spectacular show, the fuchsias are a cascade of colour, and the hydrangeas are glowing. I’m savouring these last moments with the bees, butterflies, and birds before they start to disappear in the chillier months. I’ve also been keeping a keen eye out for the last of the Swallows (Hirundo rustica) and House Martins (Delichon urbicum) as they soon begin their long migration south.

I’m trying to stay hopeful on a planet full of turmoil. 

I recently planted a wisteria (Wisteria floribunda ‘Rosea’) which I’m excited to watch grow into something magnificent in the years ahead. And I have a stash of bulbs waiting to go in the ground, including crocus, marsh fritillaries (Euphydryas aurinia), and tulips. The plan is to bolster what emerges in spring to help those early pollinators next year. I’ve heard that bumblebees like to sleep inside crocus flowers. The very idea is a balm to the soul.

Until next week.