When healthy, sand dunes are home to a myriad of fascinating and rare coastal species, such as the natterjack toad. However, sand dunes are one of the most threatened habitats in Europe in terms of biodiversity loss due to encroaching farmland, development, and stabilisation of what should be an ever-changing landscape.

As part of the dune-restoring Dynamic Dunescapes project, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has worked with schools, student societies, residential care homes, holiday makers and community support groups, to create artworks that will be shown in the ‘Art of saving Sand Dunes’ exhibition.

Six free events will be held in total, across three venues:

• 15 and 16 October 2022 – The Natural World Centre, Whisby Nature Park
• 22 and 23 October – The North Sea Observatory, Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park
• 29 and 30 October – The Coastguard Station, Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve  

Lydia Edwards is the exhibition’s Curator:
“Two of my biggest passions are art and nature. I’m so glad I get the chance to combine both of these for Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and Dynamic Dunescapes in this mixed media exhibition. We must value and take care of the world around us in all its beauty, so that it is still here for future generations."

The exhibition will feature a range of paintings, prints, photographs, poetry and an animation inspired by the sand dunes on the Lincolnshire coast.

Award-winning environmental ‘artivist’, Alicia Hayden, has worked with Dynamic Dunescapes this year and is displaying some of her works as part of the exhibition:
“I use my art to create pieces which showcase the beauty of the natural world, with the hope of inspiring people to protect it. I wanted to create a piece for the Dynamic Dunescapes’ project which reflected the wild beauty of the sand dunes, as well as linking to my poetry book, “Every Dune is a Mountain”, which I produced as part of the project. 

"By layering colours and textures, I hope to create a piece which people have to spend a moment looking at – hopeful inspiring them to stop for a moment when they next visit sand dunes, and appreciate the wildlife which lives within them.”

Dynamic Dunescapes is an ambitious project restoring sand dunes across the UK for people, communities and wildlife, which is working to bring back dynamic natural processes to these landscapes. In Lincolnshire, the project works at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe NNR, Gibraltar Point NNR, and at Cleethorpes. Dynamic Dunescapes is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and EU LIFE programme and involves seven partners including Natural England and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is a voluntary charitable organisation which cares for Lincolnshire's wildlife and countryside. Founded in 1948, the Trust covers the whole of the historic county of Lincolnshire - from the Humber to the Wash.