Following my work on a biodiversity pull-up banner for Mayo County Council, I was delighted to receive a commission to create another piece of wildlife-focused visual communication, this time for Sligo County Council, which I completed in December 2025.
The banner supported the launch of the County Sligo Biodiversity Action Plan 2025-2030, and the wildlife illustration developed for the banner was also used in the Biodiversity Action Plan itself. This made the project particularly rewarding, as the artwork became part of a much larger communication effort to protect and celebrate Sligo's natural heritage.
The illustration brings together a selection of species and landscape features associated with County Sligo. At its centre is Benbulben, one of the county's most recognisable landmarks, surrounded by wildlife ranging from a brown long-eared bat and marsh fritillary butterfly to swift, Arctic tern, Greenland white-fronted goose, lamprey and humpback whale. Grassland and oak leaves help connect the individual species to the wider habitats and landscapes on which they depend.
I wanted the composition to reflect the breadth of biodiversity found across the county, from terrestrial habitats and wetlands to coastal and marine environments. Bringing such different species together in one illustration also reinforces an important idea behind biodiversity planning: these are not isolated elements of the landscape, but part of a larger, interconnected natural system.
The project is another example of how I use wildlife illustration and graphic design to communicate biodiversity information. A pull-up banner has to work in a busy public or event environment, attracting attention quickly while still providing enough detail for people who stop to explore it. The artwork therefore needed to be visually strong at a distance but also rich enough to reward closer viewing.
Incorporating the illustration into the Biodiversity Action Plan gave it a second role. In the banner, it acts as an accessible and eye-catching introduction to Sligo's biodiversity; within the Plan, it contributes to a more considered publication about the county's natural environment and conservation priorities.
This commission was also a lovely indication that this type of work is beginning to connect with the people and organisations I most enjoy working with. After sharing my earlier biodiversity banner for Mayo, I subsequently received further commissions for similar nature-focused projects. It’s particularly encouraging to see wildlife illustration being recognised as a useful tool for communicating conservation and engaging communities with local biodiversity.
The project also gave me the opportunity to visit Sligo for the first time, attend the launch of the Biodiversity Action Plan, and see the artwork in its intended context.
This work forms part of my growing portfolio of biodiversity illustration, environmental interpretation and nature-focused design, alongside information boards, biodiversity action plans, educational publications and wildlife murals.
If you are developing a biodiversity action plan, interpretation project, public information display or other nature-related publication, get in touch to discuss how illustration and design could help communicate your project's story.
You can watch a video showing the creative process below.
