Wild Life Drawing Online: Red Squirrels

Let’s celebrate the beginning of Autumn with a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed class all about red squirrels, shall we?  

We are delighted to say that for this online class we will be joined Laura Bower, who is the Working Landscapes manager at Briddlesford Woods on the Isle of Wight. This ancient area of woodland, grassland and heathland has been a PTES nature reserve for 20 years, and is a haven for endangered species like red squirrels and dormice. It is also home to an incredible range of rare flora and fauna including bats, barn owls, lichen and fungi- some of which have only recently been discovered by science. Briddlesford's island location means that grey squirrels have not been able to reach it. This has protected the native red squirrel population from squirrel pox- a disease which many grey squirrels carry but are largely immune to, but which is deadly to reds. 

The class will be hosted by artist Jennie Webber, who will help you capture the red squirrel’s charming features on your page, drawing on her many years teaching people to sketch animals. While we draw we will discuss all things red squirrel, as well as the unique ecology of Briddlesford, and how the team there are supporting the wide variety of species that call it home. 

The class is open to all abilities, and there’s no pressure to work in a particular style. The basic materials you need to take part are some paper, a pencil, a sharpener and a rubber- but please feel free to work in whichever materials you enjoy using. We will send you an email before the session, which will contain a Zoom link and all the information you need. After the class, we will send all ticket holders a recording so you can catch up/ rewatch as many times as you like. 

50% of profits will be donated to People's Trust for Endangered Species, to support the Briddlesford Woods project.