The River - A Collaborative Youth Project | The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales

We are so pleased to reveal this collaborative artwork commissioned as part of the Save our Taff campaign.

By now we’ve all heard the news about how badly our rivers are being treated. Bad news floods our socials as we see image after image of polluted rivers across the entire nation. While we treat our rivers like open sewers, it’s worth reminding ourselves how deeply connected we are to our waterways. That is why we are so excited to share this incredible collaborative artwork commissioned as part of the Save our Taff campaign.

“The River” is an illustrated poem which highlights the interconnected nature of rivers, people, and wildlife. The words to this poem were written by our Cardiff youth forum member Ella Empson Brown, who said “I was inspired to write this poem to show people why I care about the Taff. I also think it’s an important part of our community and should be protected.”.

Skai Campbell, the incredible artist behind this piece, said “I am an illustrator studying in London, and most of my work is based around nature. It’s Cliche to say, but I always feel most myself when I’m in nature, and luckily, I currently live right next to a pretty cool river, so I am constantly reminded of how beautiful and powerful rivers are and how much life they bring. I hope that this piece communicates how important rivers are, but also that it reflects their beauty and power. RIVERS ARE THE BEST!!!”

The illustrated version of a poem titled "The River", showing the words of the poem flowing over an image of a river next to a bustling city. The next slide shows tall vegetation next to the riverbank, with a duck foraging in the shallows. The next panel shows a freshwater snail beneath the surface of the river. And the final panel shows the waters of the river evolving into a young woman, with the images of a kingfisher and otter drawn into the flowing waters behind her.

The first panel of our illustrated poem "The River"

Words of poem by Ella Empson Brown, art by Skai Campbell, artwork commissioned by Nature over Natter for the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales

The second panel of our illustrated poem "The River"

The third panel of our illustrated poem "The River"

The final panel of our illustrated poem "The River"

Poem by Ella Empson Brown, Art by Skai Campbell, Artwork commissioned by Nature over Natter for the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales

This piece has been commissioned as part of Nature over Natter, who aim to rewrite the narrative of the climate crisis, from one of hopelessness and doomism to one of positivity and resilience! They specifically commission young artists and connect them with conservation charities across the UK. Tammie, who co-directs Nature over Natter and is also a member of our youth forum, said “I have so thoroughly enjoyed helping the collaboration between Skai & The Wildlife Trust Cardiff come to life. Youth collaboration is key in shaping a greener, happier future for us all! Please see this work as a celebration of the Wildlife Trust and their outstanding commitment of co-production with young people”.

We feel as though this piece truly demonstrates how important rivers can be. Throughout the creation process it’s brought artists, poets, conservationists, and young people from across the UK together, and we hope with its release we can inspire you to go out to your local river and connect to the wonderful community of people & wildlife that call the banks of your river home.

To see more of Skai’s artwork, follow him on socials media at @Skoshbell on instagram.

To follow other incredible artists and positive nature news, be sure to follow the Nature over Natter journey at @natureovernatter on instagram or linkedin!

And to keep up with the youth forum’s work on the Save our Taff campaign and to find out more about how you can be involved, be sure to check out our website here.