Canterbury artists have joined forces with Kent Wildlife Trust to celebrate the Wilder Blean Project, a pioneering initiative in which bison will roam West Blean and Thorndon Woods.

Over the last year students from the University of Creative Arts have been working on sculptures which have been placed on the Wild Art Trail within West Blean and Thorndon Woods.  The free exhibition showcased the work of seven artists keen to celebrate the imminent arrival of four bison into the woodland.

Included within the exhibition is a “Bison-Hotel” by Rob Smith. The impressive wooden sculpture visually represents a bison as a piece of art, but will also become a home for bugs and other wildlife, artistically replicating the work of a real-life bison.

Further along the path Tiffany Tu’s work “The Returning Trail” depicts a cascade of bison hoof-prints inspired by the Radfall, an ancient droveway within the woodland that was used to move livestock between Canterbury and North Kent.

Nearing the end of the trail, “Conkers” by Chrissy Swain is a playful artistic portrayal of the changing seasons, where colourful fabric sculptures were placed within the trees. 

The exhibition was co-ordinated by Elysia Davies Wilder Kent Education and Engagement Officer, who said: “The artists have done an amazing job in visually representing the Wilder Blean Project. They have worked incredibly hard on their sculptures, and we are grateful to them for sharing their artwork so the whole community can enjoy it.

“Engaging people is at the heart of Wilder Blean. We want the project to inspire people and highlight the need to change our behaviour as a society so we can combat the climate and nature crises and work together to promote nature-based solutions.”