During this art-science project of making a natural botanical palette of my own using wild plants, I learned how to be a responsible forager as recommended by The Woodland Trust and BSBI Code of Conduct as proposed by the National History Museum. I became a more eco-friendly artist taking note of these recommendations.
As I collected plant specimens, I followed the 1 in 20 rule whereby I would only target plants that were growing abundantly taking one or two from an area then moving on to the next similar plant. Never uprooting plants. Always being careful to select specimens so as not to damage the rest of the plant or interfere with its reproduction cycle. My aim was to consider the conservation of wild plants whilst also enjoying being on nature walks.
I also felt it important to familiarised myself with the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) which covers England, Scotland and Wales. Did you know that blue bells are a protected species so I definitely avoided collecting these.
The notion of being in the countryside is valued by many and being in green spaces is truly uplifting. By making these botanical inks, I realised that nature still has a way of surviving and evolving even as a botanical ink artwork.
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/things-to-do/foraging/foraging-guidelines/chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/Code-of-Conduct-v5-final.pdf
