Hello
My name is Mel, and I am a naturalist and illustrator from the Calder Valley in Yorkshire. I like to explore Nature through art, science, writing and adventure.
My background is in natural sciences, and I am interested in all things ecology. I have worked in the lab, researching natural products produced by soil microbes at the John Innes Centre. And, in the field as a Soil Scientist.
I also love South America. I’ve travelled Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Chile and Mexico, working on my artwork portfolio, studying ecosystems (particularly trees and their interactions), and volunteering with environmental and education projects.
Hey Nature is my way to share love for the natural world, to help people connect with and care for Nature through illustration and nature education.
Selected Previous Projects / Commissions / Exhibitions
The Bog Beings series of illustrations exhibited with The Peat Appreciation Society artist-collective at Gibson Mill, National Trust Hardcastle Crags
PeatZine project with Turquoise Arts (funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund and Culturedale): artist collective running public engagement workshops, a pop-up exhibition at The Local Motive, Mytholmroyd and co-creating a zine about peat and Sphagnum moss
Public engagement with Mytholmroyd Cubs group: led a exploratory Nature trail on Heptonstall Moor and ran a follow-up creative/science workshop
Sphagnum illustrations exhibited at The Local Motive and included in the PeatZine
Created a Nature Notebook activity booklet to record observations
Commission by The University of Cambridge for an illustration to accompany a research publication by Dr. Thomas Ball (preprint available here)
Commissioned by Biota Maule Naturalist Education Centre, Chile, to create an interactive activity booklet to accompany their children’s naturalist education residential programme
