‘Dusk IV [Stump #265], monoprint, 30x35cm

One-off monoprint — only one available

This print has now been donated to Temwa for their 2026 summer art auction to raise funds towards reforestation in Malawi.

The tale of ash trees afflicted by Ash dieback infection is a sobering one, now spanning Europe since its ominous emergence in Poland in 1992. Forests, urban greenery, and nurseries alike have witnessed the silent demise of these majestic beings.

Britain’s introduction to the disease unfolded in early 2012, as infected trees from a Dutch nursery found their way to Buckinghamshire. The government, in response, enforced a mandatory ban on ash tree imports and tightened the reins on local tree movement by the end of October 2012.

Today, the specter of dieback looms over every region of the UK and Ireland, casting a shadow on the once-thriving ash tree population.

Beyond their role as silent sentinels in woodlands, ash trees are integral contributors to our native flora. Their open-branched architecture and compound leaves create a welcoming haven for an array of plants — Wild garlic, Dogs Mercury, Bluebells, Wood Crane’s-Bill. A hazel understory often accompanies these woodlands, fostering a rich ground layer that sustains insects and birds, including warblers, flycatchers, and redstarts.

The ash’s longevity fosters a thriving ecosystem, providing a haven for specialist deadwood species like the lesser stag beetle and hole-nesting birds such as owls, woodpeckers, and the nuthatch. In the silent embrace of ash branches, bats find roosting spaces, completing the intricate web of life.

The alkaline embrace of ash bark supports a tapestry of epiphytic lichens, bryophytes, and snails. Over 60 of Britain’s rarest insect species find sanctuary in the company of ash.