We desperately need to protect our wildlife habitats

Janey Swanson meets Scott Barden, the environmental campaigner whose works are a remarkable sign of the times.

- Janey Swanson

THROUGHOUT the Scottish Borders, hundreds of brightly coloured hand-painted signs featuring wildflowers, hedgehogs, rabbits and bees can be spotted.

Featuring messages like Bee Friendly, More Wildflowers, Please Don’t Cut The Grass, the signs may look fun and lighthearted, but the message behind them is serious.

“We desperately need to protect our wildlife habitats, especially wildflower meadows,” Scott Barden, the eco-artist creating the signs, stresses.

“Since World War Two, ninety-eight per cent of Britain’s wildflower meadows have disappeared.

“Our bees, butterflies, insects, birds and small mammals have lost vast swathes of their habitats.

“This is having a knock-on effect on species loss, climate change and, ultimately, it will also affect our own food supplies.

“If we lose bees and insects, we'll lose fruits, berries and other crops as it will be impossible for plants to be pollinated.

“I want my signs to encourage people to protect our precious natural environment.”

Scott lives in a cottage in Kelso with his wife Jo.