I am writing this from our cosy new flat in Edinburgh. As I peer out of the window over the iconic Scottish tenement rooftops, I can see swifts swooping against the sky, reminiscent of the barn swallows that return to my family home in Wales each year.

Although I have to adjust to city life far from the rural setting where I once lived, it feels like the beginning of simpler times in many ways.

The green shoots of the flowers as they burst through cracks in the pavement. The distant screech of the swifts as they fly overhead. The spin of the sycamore keys as they fall to the ground beneath my feet.

The treasures of nature are available to us wherever we are, if we can be present enough. It is in this vein that I share this with you:

I love the sentiment of this phrase. The quality of our lives is determined not by location but by our lifestyle, actions, and intentions.

I am using this as a metaphorical rudder to gently guide me as I navigate the speed and challenges of daily life. My intention is to move forward slowly, steadily, and mindfully, whether surrounded by tarmac or trees.

We’ll see how it goes.

Now it’s time to go from the little picture of nature to the big. It’s been a while since I shared any creative updates, as I’ve been naturally drawn to writing about the veg patch as of late.

So, what better time to share an exciting new project created in collaboration with Scotland: The Big Picture, a charity at the forefront of the rewilding movement in the country I am now proud to call home?

Introducing Scotland: The Big Picture

I always enjoy taking on projects in the rewilding sphere.

It feels like such a positive and proactive movement that emphasizes restoring and revitalizing natural ecosystems—in this case, the natural landscapes of Scotland—to bring back lost species and habitats.

Scotland: The Big Picture emphasize ecological restoration and community involvement to build a resilient, wildlife-rich environment and strengthen the connection between people and nature.

The SBP team brought me on board to create a series of compelling brand visuals that would encourage businesses to partner with them and empower them to ‘play a critical role in a transformational recovery of Scotland’s land and seas’.

It was a dream project—one of those design briefs that made me pinch myself—being tasked to illustrate some of Scotland’s most iconic species such as red squirrels, Scot’s pines, pine martens and crested tits in my own iconic and playful style.

Rewilding badges

We wanted elements of the project to evoke a nostalgic feeling (reminiscent of collections of postage stamps, football stickers, or Scout badges) with a gentle nod to old adventure patches from the '60s that were sewn into backpacks and jackets.

I am so proud of the result (especially the badges!) and feel incredibly grateful to have been able to contribute to this project to bring the ideas of the SBP team to life.

Some days, I still can’t quite believe I get to do this creative conservation work for a living. What’s more, as this chapter unfolds, it will provide new opportunities to get out of the city, explore the wilderness of Scotland and experience some of the species depicted in the artwork.

What’s more, as this chapter unfolds, it will provide new opportunities to get out of the city and explore the Scottish wilderness depicted in the artwork.

Adventures in the Highlands await!