19 October, 2026

Creative exhibition celebrates conservation on the north coast

Conservation programme Species on the Edge celebrates the end of its four-year run with an exhibition inspired by the people, flora, and fauna of the north coast.

The exhibition brings together the work of artists and community groups who have contributed to the programme on the north coast. Creativity has been a valuable tool for Species on the Edge in opening up conversations about conservation, helping people (re)connect with their local natural environment in new ways, and supporting participation in local conservation efforts. Creative projects have included watercolour workshops, film-making, comic book workshops, a community herbarium, a community stitching project and more.

The exhibition features work by stained glass artist Marta Sienkiewicz, comic illustrator Aimee Lockwood, watercolour painter Iris Hill, filmmakers Laura O’Kane and Sinéad Hargan, the Sutherland Stitchers, and a herbarium produced by Tongue Gardening Group supported by Joanne B Kaar.

The exhibition will run from 17^th to 26^th November, Tuesday to Thursday, 10am to 2pm at Strathnaver Museum, Bettyhill.

Louise Senior, People Engagement Officer for Species on the Edge, said: ‘We hope that people will be inspired by this co-curated collection, understanding conservation action not just as surveying or habitat management, but as a process of creating joy and hope.’

Fiona Mackenzie, Development Manager at Strathnaver Museum, said: ‘We have supported Species on the Edge from the outset, so we’re delighted to be hosting their end of project exhibition, and we’re excited to see what has been achieved. Many of the permanent displays in the museum feature the natural environment because it is integral to the history and future of our communities, so this exhibition will complement and add a new layer to the stories we tell here.’

Following the exhibition, Marta Sienkiewicz’s stained-glass window and Tongue Gardening Group’s herbarium will find a permanent home in Strathnaver Museum, whilst the Sutherland Stitchers tapestry will be displayed at the HistoryLinks Museum in Dornoch.

For more information, please contact Louise Senior, People Engagement Officer for Species on the Edge: louise.senior@plantlife.org.uk

Contact information

Name: Eilidh Ross
Email: eilidh.ross@nature.scot

Notes to editors

Species on the Edge is a multi-partner species conservation programme dedicated to working with communities across Scotland’s coasts and islands to help them secure a future for their local vulnerable and threatened wildlife. Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the partnership consists of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Bat Conservation Trust, Buglife, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, NatureScot, Plantlife, and RSPB Scotland. The programme is active across seven landscape-scale areas in Scotland: Argyll and the Inner Hebrides; Outer Hebrides; North Coast; Orkney; Shetland; East Coast; Solway Coast.

Strathnaver Museum at Bettyhill is located in the former Parish Church of Farr and tells the fascinating story of 8,000 years of human occupation in north-west Sutherland. The Annex building is fully accessible while the main building is partially accessible as there is no wheelchair access to the 1st floor due to the historic nature of the building.

NatureScot is Scotland's nature agency. Responding to the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, we work to protect and restore nature by inspiring everyone to value our natural world. Our goal is a nature-rich, net-zero future for Scotland. For more information, visit our website at www.nature.scot

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