Within our village we have a beautiful nature reserve, Magor Marsh, run by the Gwent Wildlife Trust. As a family we visit on a nearly weekly basis. I find it an amazing source of inspiration and my children learn about the diversity of wildlife that live within the reserve. The site has recently reintroduced water voles with great success, an animal that has been pushed close to extinction in recent days.

Water vole at Magor Marsh

Pond dipping at Magor Marsh

Ragged Robin at Magor Marsh

Yellow Flag Iris at Magor Marsh

Bittersweet nightshade at Magor Marsh

Swan at Magor Marsh

During a visit to Marshy Monday last summer we stumbled on a grass snake while walking through the hay meadow. It stayed still enough for us to take a good close look and for me to take a quick snap with my mobile:

I was quite proud when this photo came second in the Gwent Wildlife Photographic competition.

Using silk floss thread gives a beautiful shine to your work and I thought it would work well for snake scales. And so I started my most challenging piece so far.

I was a bit apprehensive about this piece but actually it was enjoyable, I could break it down and treat each scale as a miniature embroidery. I was tempted to stop halfway through as I loved the way to snake was gradually emerging from the picture and coming to life.

Here is the finished piece:

The title of this blog came from a recent meeting I attended at the marsh to discuss the proposed M4 relief road. A proposition for a six lane motorway that will cost £1.2b, cut through four SSSI areas (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and damage protected species populations and their habitats. Gwent Wildlife Trust has already received a compulsory purchase order for a section of Magor Marsh which could threaten protected species such as the water vole and otter. The entire proposal which cuts across the Gwent Levels could also damage the delicate drainage system that ensures many villages do not flood. An alternative route has been suggested that would not cut through the levels and would cost a fraction of the price, £340m, however this proposal was not even considered.

It seems to me that we are all told that we must reduce our carbon footprint, care for our environment and our history and protect our delicate eco-system, but if it means getting more cars to Cardiff 10 minutes quicker these ideals are thrown out of the window. Even if you do not love and respect our land and wildlife, we must have some foresight for future generations.