Our upcoming exhibition at the Barn, The Ark – We Stand Beside by Jane Frere, invites us to choose a species to stand beside in an act of symbolic solidarity. The exhibition embodies advocacy on behalf of millions of species, including many still unnamed or undiscovered, that form the global ecosystem. It is both a celebration of the beauty of nature and a vital reminder of the threat of the rapidly worsening climate crisis and diminishing biodiversity.
Artist Jane Frere, is one of three co-founders of the I Stand Beside initiative, that exists to inspire a global movement of nature advocates who stand beside all life through creativity, collaboration, and care.
This participatory process has already engaged over 100 individuals whose choices are incorporated into Jane’s Tree of Life mural that forms part of the exhibition. Prominent figures who have joined the Ark include TV naturalist Chris Packham, Scottish film and stage star Brian Cox, and author Max Porter.
Chris Packham has chosen the Bog Sun Jumping Spider, a tiny, very rare spider that was only discovered in Britain just 30 years ago. This jumping spider is known from just five sites in central Scotland, in fragments of what was once an extensive bog network. 90% of UK lowland raised bogs have been destroyed. What remains is threatened by commercial peat extraction, drainage, overgrazing, climate change and afforestation. In Frere’s exhibition, this tiny spider is portrayed as a giant, celebrating its magnificent eight eyes and hairy body.
Brian Cox has chosen to stand beside the Wolf. In Scotland, Wolves once roamed freely, playing a pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance. As apex predators, they regulated the populations of large herbivores, particularly red deer. However, extensive hunting and habitat loss led to the extinction of wolves in Scotland by the late 17th century, with the last recorded wolf killed in 1680. Their absence has had cascading effects on the ecosystem, most notably on deer populations. An advocate for Scotland to become the worlds’ first rewilding nation, Cox stated in an open letter in The Guardian “the fact is that Scotland is one of the planet’s most nature-depleted countries. Centuries of overexploiting its natural resources have left us with somewhere that looks beautiful, but is dwindling day by day.
This fails our hills, glens and rivers. It fails the animals we share our land and seas with. We’ve upset nature’s balance. That has a terrible impact on wildlife, but also on us. Scotland’s broken natural processes undermine our ability to cope with climate breakdown, affect food production and threaten our health. But there is hope. Scots are modest, so shouting about our achievements doesn’t come naturally. But we should be proud of our rewilding progress. We now have more than 150 rewilding projects across the country. Hundreds of people are working to put things right again.”
Inspired by this initiative and the incredible exhibition that awaits us, the team at the Barn have chosen to stand beside the Red Squirrel - Scotland's only native squirrel species.
Today, there are only around 220,000 remaining in Scotland following threats from invasive grey squirrels and the destruction of native woodlands. The grey squirrel is a North American species that was first introduced to Britain in Victorian times, to decorate the gardens of large stately homes. They soon expanded their range, completely replacing red squirrels in most of England and Wales, and many parts of Scotland. The competition between red and grey squirrels is an unnatural, man-made problem that we have a responsibility to manage. The destruction of woodland has also contributed to the red squirrel’s decline. Habitat fragmentation, when areas of woodland become separated by development and changing land-use, is also problematic. These isolated areas are often too small to support healthy and sustainable populations of wildlife, including red squirrels.
What would you choose to stand beside?
To find out more about the I Stand Beside initiative, please visit their website below:
