Who else is attempting to assist small corporations and impartial retailers this Christmas season? Prime of my pointers for my shopper selections this Yuletide is supporting of us (notably artists and creatives affected by the present pandemic) and naturally supporting wildlife and conservation charities.

I’m delighted to have found wildlife illustration model, Wild Traces, by zoologist Jen Parker; which manages to fulfill each of these necessities.

Jen’s fluctuate of illustrations contains having fun with enjoying playing cards, calendars and present wrap; and comes with the promise of a minimal carbon footprint; with all packaging being recyclable, and the utilization of UK-based print corporations that drive inexperienced values.

I used to be excited to talk with Jen to go searching out additional about her enterprise, which began out on this hardest of years for mannequin new start-ups.

“I create characterful pen drawings of wildlife – usually endangered species – and share them alongside an optimistic story all through the featured species’ conservation journey,” she outlined. “This 12 months, I’ve began promoting my illustrations as prints and greetings having fun with enjoying playing cards.”

Final 12 months, Jen ran an ‘Endangered Creation’ on social media, the place she posted a particular wildlife-themed design daily of introduction, and folk designs are actually accessible as having fun with enjoying playing cards on her net web page. “I’m planning on doing the equal this 12 months, maybe with a give consideration to British wildlife,” she tells me.

Jen has been variety sufficient to provide one fortunate reader of this weblog the prospect to win a set of six Christmas card designs value £15.00! Additional on that later, as we first ‘Meet the Maker’.

Meet the conservationist behind the enterprise

Theres a quote that appears to be doing the rounds on social media not too method again; “While you assist small enterprise, you’re supporting a dream” — efficiently, I needed to know additional about that dream…

Kate: Thanks for taking the day journey of your busy schedule to talk to me, Jen. First factors first, the place and one of the simplest ways did your ardour for wildlife start? 

Jen: Rising up on the Isle of Wight, I’ve frequently been surrounded by nature. I beloved spending time exterior, nonetheless it wasn’t till I used to be about 17 that I turned obsessive about biology.

Skip forward only some years and, having accomplished a level in zoology and a masters in palaeoanthropology, I used to be packing my baggage for a six-month postgraduate diploma in endangered species restoration. The course, run by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Notion, was based in Mauritius. I hoped that it would assist me to hunt out out whether or not or not or not I needed to be an area conservationist or begin a PhD. My time in Mauritius is the place my ardour for conservation really intensified.

After most likely most likely probably the most unbelievable experiences engaged on a number of world-renowned endangered species restoration initiatives, I made a decision that I didn’t ought to be an area conservationist. Nor did I’ve to do a PhD.

I used to be starting to really actually really feel as if there was a facet of conservation that was normally neglected, and that probably I am going to assist with. People, and notably human behaviour change, is integral to conservation success – and nonetheless hardly built-in deeply and considerably into conservation methods.

That was as quickly as I made up my thoughts that probably the greatest methods I am going to have an essential have an effect on could also be by communications.

That’s fascinating to take heed to, and one issue I completely relate to. So how did that evolve into you launching Wild Traces?

After I had exhausted my funds staying in Mauritius for so long as my checking account would permit, I travelled as soon as extra to the UK and took a job as editor of a veterinary journal.

It wasn’t conservation, nonetheless it was an enthralling place that taught me an infinite deal concerning the editorial world together with the implausible veterinary occupation.

It was furthermore in these first months as soon as extra contained in the UK that I felt impressed to choose up an artwork work pen for the primary time. I continued to create pen drawings of wildlife in my spare time and, with the encouragement of family and buddies, held a stall at only some Christmas markets close to my base in Oxfordshire.

In June 2019 I handed in my resignation and moved to Montserrat contained in the Caribbean, the place my companion was elementary the Mountain Rooster Restoration Programme.

I spent only some months working as a contract author and editor prior to focusing my time on drawing and establishing a promoting method for Wild Traces.

The thought to launch a conservation-focused illustration enterprise had been at the back of my concepts for a while, however I knew it would take some very important dedication to place into motion. Luckily, a swap to the Caribbean supplied the correct surroundings to get caught in.

That’s superior. What has been most likely most likely probably the most rewarding a part of launching Wild Traces as a enterprise?

It’s scary launching a mannequin new enterprise, notably when your explicit particular person work is the product. Nonetheless I’ve discovered it rewarding from the very starting.

It’s so pretty to take heed to that my art work work brings of us pleasure, or that anyone has learnt one issue new or modified only a bit behaviour on account of they be taught the story accompanying a bit.

I’m sharing my art work work with a splendidly engaged viewers of folks that uncover themselves passionate concerning the pure world, and I couldn’t have requested for additional in my first 12 months.

One significantly thrilling second this 12 months was when Jersey Zoo put of their first order for his or her retailer – after which one completely different one, on account of of us had been searching for my factors!

That was fairly a surreal feeling and I’m really attempting ahead to reaching additional prospects by rising my wholesale providing as rapidly as factors are only a bit nearer to ‘widespread’ contained in the retail world.

I’ve my fingers crossed for you. Which merchandise or designs have been hottest?

The Wild Traces 2021 calendar is proving extremely regarded in the interim. The wall calendar selections 12 of my endangered species drawings and 15% of earnings are donated to Durrell Wildlife Conservation Notion. Folks have tended to purchase it as a Christmas current; they’re really totally glad to assist a small enterprise together with a wildlife conservation charity whereas doing their Christmas procuring – notably this 12 months!

My hottest print has been the Asian elephant (she’s my favorite, too!), adopted intently by the very candy juvenile Brazilian tapir. There’s not a standout winner concerning having fun with enjoying playing cards – there’s one factor for everyone and plainly all of us has a particular favorite!

So, how do you go about selecting the animal species you make the most of for the designs?

Final 12 months, I targeted on endangered animals and tried to cowl all varieties of species – from sea turtles to sloths. The arrival thought dawned on me on the finish of November and I requested my companion if he thought I am going to do one design daily of December up till Christmas.

I don’t know why I bothered asking, really he was going to say optimistic. So I publicly devoted and that was it! Each night I obtained proper right here up with a plan for the following day’s card design so, to be dependable, there wasn’t quite a few a method to it!

This 12 months I’ve deliberate forward. I’m going to supply consideration to the wildlife now we now have correct proper right here on our doorsteps contained in the UK – from white-tailed eagles and natterjack toads to hedgehogs and hares.

I actually really feel it’s essential to attach with the wildlife now we now have at residence; it’s easy to overlook what unbelievable biodiversity we’re going to uncover in Britain’s pure areas, and even in our gardens and parks.

Plenty of the species I’m that options this 12 months are the themes of conservation work. Others are doing efficiently, however merely couldn’t be missed; it wouldn’t be a British wildlife assortment with out a purple fox!

Now I’m excited for December to return again once more spherical, merely to see your introduction assortment! In what methods do you hope your work will encourage others to attach with wildlife?

Every drawing brings the viewer only a bit bit nearer to nature and, I hope, will assist them to really actually really feel additional linked to the good world that we’re so fortunate to be part of.

My drawings are usually accompanied with a conservation story. The tales describe the exhausting work being undertaken by conservation organisations to guard the species and sometimes incorporate some info on what we’re going to do to assist.

I actually really feel of us in all places on the planet have felt additional linked with the pure world this 12 months than ever prior to, given the weird and troublesome circumstances the pandemic has launched with it. That was one completely different of my causes for specializing in British wildlife this 12 months.

Having spent fairly a bit time indoors, we turned more and more extra conscious about the essential have an effect on the pure surroundings has on our well-being. We had been staring out of our residence residence home windows recognising birds and bugs that won’t have caught our consideration prior to. And as quickly as we had been able to take a stroll contained in the woods, we relished the chance to reconnect with the pores and pores and skin world. I hope that my introduction assortment this 12 months will assist to nourish these emotions, and even perhaps prompt of us to positioned on their boots and go for a aware stroll amongst nature.

Now, you talked about that the Wild Traces 2020 introduction assortment would even be supporting wildlife conservation. Are you able to inform us additional?

Optimistic, for my 2020 introduction assortment, I’ve partnered with Folks’s Notion for Endangered Species – a implausible charity that raises each consciousness and funds for conservation initiatives contained in the UK and further afield.

I am going to likely be highlighting a few of their good initiatives contained in the UK and promoting the distinctive festive drawings and donating all earnings to PTES.