A well-known London street artist has painted a harbour seal outside Newport’s Lord Louis Library.
ATM, whose work usually features wildlife, came to the Island at the invitation of Secrets of the Solent, a National Lottery Heritage Fund project supported by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
Particularly in The Solent, harbour seals are often spotted around the Island, on sandbanks and beaches.
Like grey seals, harbour seals feed on fish, squid, whelks, crabs, and mussels.
Photo by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
Cllr Julie Jones-Evans said: "The Wildlife Trust has done a great job attracting the funds and organising this project to brighten up our historic county town.
"Even in the heart of Newport we are only a few steps away from the wild species that live here too, and this beautiful new mural will remind us of that.
"With the support of Shaping Newport, we were able to secure the site for ATM to create this work, and we're hoping to deliver more art like this soon.”
Artist ATM said: "We, as human beings, are very much a part of the whole web of nature, dependent on a healthy environment like every other living creature.
"It is so easy to forget this in our modern industrialised world, where we are insulated by comfort and technology.
"We must learn a greater love and respect for other living things if we are to avert global disaster."
The subject of the mural was chosen by a vote held within the local community.
Our marine mural next to @LordLouisLib is really coming to life! Can you guess the species? 🤔#SecretsOfTheSolent #IsleOfWight pic.twitter.com/PE3pBm7a8J
— Hampshire & IOW Wildlife Trust Marine (@HIWWTMarine) September 29, 2021
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