 |
| 06.08.01 |
I live very close to Middleton Lakes, an RSPB nature reserve. I have spent many weekends walking around the lakes at different times of the year, enjoying the changes in the colour and the structure of the landscape, watching and listening to the birds as they nest and migrate.
For this reason I chose to study 'Global Warming, and its effects on inland wetlands'.
What is Global Warming?
 |
| 06.08.02 |
The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities is from the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation.
Temperatures today are said to be 0.74 °C higher than 150 years ago.
Why are inland wetlands so important?
 |
| 06.08.03 |
Wetlands are areas where water covers soil all, or part of
the time. Wetlands are important ecosystems that protect and improve water
quality, store floodwaters and maintain surface water flow during dry periods.
They provide wildlife habitats for rare birds, fish, insects, and amphibians. Many
species of birds and mammals rely on wetlands for food, water and shelter,
especially during migration and breeding.
Wetlands also absorb and store carbon. According to
scientists, they could be up to 50 times more effective in battling climate
change than rainforests, finding that wetlands bank up to one-third of the
carbon found in terrestrial soils, and yet they only make up 4 per cent of the
world's surface.
What is the likely effect of Global Warming on inland wetlands?
 |
| 06.08.04 |
The very nature of wetlands habitat is shaped by water and
rainfall patterns – the natural fluctuations in water levels are a major reason
why wetlands support such a unique and diverse range of species. Although the
precise impacts of climate change will be varied around the world, with some
areas predicted to get wetter and others drier, the general trend is towards
greater uncertainty in rainfall and more extreme events.
Added to this is the impact of temperature itself – even a
change of a few degrees could be catastrophic for wetland ecosystems, and in
the case of increased temperatures and resultant evaporation many seasonal
wetlands may dry out too rapidly to support the species that depend on
them. - wwt.org.uk
Middleton Lakes
 |
| 06.08.05 |
Formerly a 400 acre gravel quarry in the Lower Tame Valley,
Middleton Lakes was purchased by the RSPB in 2007 and now provides a variety of
habitats including open water, wet grassland, reedbed, meadow and woodland.
 |
| 06.08.06 |
Over 100 grey herons make their nests here each year. It
also provides important habitat for overwintering wildfowl such as common
pochard, tufted duck and smew, along with many reptiles and amphibians, Otters
and a total of over 1,000 other animal plant and fungus species.
Visual Reference
I have taken many photographs referencing pattern, texture and colour from around the lakes and reedbeds.
 |
| 06.08.07 |
 |
| 06.08.08 |
 |
| 06.08.09 |
I added my photographs to a collection of magazine images, leaflets, drawings and collected dried plant material that I have gathered together, and created a pin-board for visual reference and inspiration,
 |
| 06.08.10 |
Verbal Information
I found some words by American philosopher, Henry David Thoreau, that seem to perfectly articulate my thoughts, feelings and emotions when I visit Middleton Lakes. (From the car park, you first walk though a tranquil area of woodland before reaching the heronry, and then crossing a canal bridge to arrive at the open wetlands and grasslands.)
 |
| 06.08.11 |
When I would recreate myself,
I would seek the darkest wood, the thickest, most impenetrable swamp.
And I would enter them as sacred places,
As Sanctum Santoriums.
I put together a collection of words that I felt were pertinent to my theme:
 |
| 06.08.12 |
The things I particularly notice about the shape and texture of the landscape around Middleton Lakes are:
- the masses of strong upright reeds and rushes rising from beneath the water
- the texture of the wind as it blows across the surface of the water
- vast, flat, open waterscape
- big cloudy skies that seem to have no end
- spikey thistles, teazels and brambles
- soft, fluffy lichen and mossy textures
- silence and birdsong
- warm, dark cocooned woodland with a damp, earthy, musty smell
Drawings
 |
| 06.08.13 |
On one of my visits, I made a collection of grasses to draw the different textures in the vegetation
 |
| 06.08.14 |
Looking at my pin-board, I drew the things that I felt epitomised Middleton Lakes, including the colour-scheme that appeared present in most of the photographs that I had taken in late November.
 |
| 06.08.15 |
The greyish denim and indigo blues and lilacs of the water and sky contrast beautifully in my photographs with the golden straw-like colours of the reeds and rushes
 |
| 06.08.16 |
I used some grasses to print a pattern to represent the texture of the bulrushes
 |
| 06.08.17 |
I made a selection of drawings of some of the shapes, patterns and textures observed at Middleton Lakes
Design Exercise
Words were selected from a list and then I cut or tore black paper to reflect the meaning of the words.
 |
| 06.08.18 |
 |
| 06.08.19 |
I re-worked some of these designs in larger sheets of decorated papers:
 |
| 06.08.20 |
conflicting/unpredictability
at this moment, my thoughts are that the gaps would be filled with either transparent materials, machine stitch over dissolvable fabric, or insertion stitch/methods.
Maybe a 'bead' of metallic gold, running down, perhaps the straight edges, would represent the reedbeds?
 |
| 06.08.21 |
rhythmical
maybe I should have removed the thin lines and left the thicker ones, however, I guess that would depend upon what I chose to 'fill' the gaps with?
I can now see the gaps being filled with straight lines of gold stitching on dissolvable fabric to represent the reedbeds???
 |
| 06.08.22 |
crushed/compressed
this could probably be better represented by using 2 colours. The wavy compressed lines at the bottom could either represent the water in indigo, or the reedbeds/grassland in straw/gold, or vice versa so that it could be used to depict the effects of global warming and water evaporation etc.
this might need to be adapted to some sort of repeat pattern when scaled up further? (see little thumbnail sketch in image above).
this might need to be adapted to some sort of repeat pattern when scaled up further? (see little thumbnail sketch in image above).
 |
| 06.08.23 |
combined/entwined/eco-system
Again represented in 2 colours to depict grassland/reedbed and water.
I feel that both this design, and the design below, could be worked as either 3D pieces, or 2D but 'double sided' so that they can rotate independently and be viewed whilst hanging away from a wall.
 |
| 06.08.24 |
protection/habitat
Again, perhaps using 2 colours would enable the design to relate a little better to my theme?
when scaled up, there are many ways that this could be adapted, see little thumbnail sketches below the image above for a few initial thoughts.
I am excited by the potential of all designs, although, crucially, none of these really appear to relate to my theme of Middleton Lakes and Global Warming. Perhaps this can be rectified a little later with my decorated papers? (Athough I have added 'afterthoughts' in blue about how a colour change might express global warming a little better. I will also be including the violet of my thermo-chromatic paint to enhance the effect if and when a heat supply could be present).
