Birds of the Lower Derwent Valley book
2023 - 2025
Was commissioned to create over 30 illustrations and design the layout of the 544-page book about the historical and conservation data of all bird species observed within the Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve in North Yorkshire, UK.
I have spent most of my life living next to the valley, and spent many hours as a volunteer on the reserve seeing its landscapes and inhabitants first-hand. This personal connection to the reserve made it an exceptionally rewarding project to complete.
As of Autumn 2026, the book has now raised over £10,000 in sales for conservation work in the valley and received many excellent reviews across nature community channels both locally and nationally.
Cover jacket design and illustration.
Featuring key species of bird found in the valley: Eurasian curlew, barn owl, sedge warbler, northern pintail, common snipe, black-tailed godwit, whooper swan, corncrake, common quail, and wigeon.
Cover sketches
Illustrations
Landscape illustrations
These illustrations (9 in total) were all inspired by real locations within the reserve, based on both the descriptions from the reserve manager and my own experiences living close to the valley for most of my life.
Bird illustrations
These 25+ illustrations were to depict just the bird species, and were done in a range of traditional media including gouache, watercolours, pencil and charcoal.
Book design
