Ellie MacDonald

From sketch > linocut > print 🎨 Floodplain meadow species now ready to join my growing collection of art pieces inspired by nature 🌱 A great way to cheer up a grey day #floodplainmeadow #natureart #linocut #printmaking

First attempt at a reduction linocut! Made for a friend who loves tomatoes 🍅 Really fun to figure out shadows and highlights when cutting away layers. A tricky but rewarding process 🎨 #linocut

Wasp spider and beautifully constructed egg sac spotted whilst on site today!

Over the last year I have been working on floodplain habitats across Oxon-Bucks with my colleagues @Freshwaterhabs 🌿 I’ve visited some amazing sites and worked with wonderful landowners to protect and restore floodplain habitats and the freshwater species they support 💧🐸

It’s #WorldWetlandsDay 🌱💧🌸 Celebrating wonderful wetland habitats and the amazing diversity of species within 🐸 A small collection of why I love wetlands: floodplains, fens, drosera, and dragonflies 🤩

Floodplain meadows bringing me joy even through the winter, I’m so ready to get back out there this spring 🌸🌱

A floodplain blog to beat the January blues 💛 I wrote about one of my favourite floodplain meadow sites and how it inspires my professional life and my art 🎨

A great year with a great team 🌱🐸🪲

Want to learn more a little more about how floodplain restoration using species-rich green hay is carried out and why we do it? Here is a piece I wrote about my experience using green hay this summer 🌸🌿🐸

Nothing better than a fun floodplain film on a Friday💧 Here’s an overview of the restoration work we’ve been carrying out this summer ☀️ Using species rich green hay to bring species back to our floodplains across Oxon-bucks🌱🌼 @Freshwaterhabs

Haystacks, Lake District ⛰️ I have many happy memories of walking around Buttermere with this view and also following in the footsteps of Wainwright and hiking up to the summit. Now it is ready to hang on my wall and remind me of good times 🎨🥾 #LakeDistrict #oilpainting

A pretty great way to spend a Friday at work 🌱🤩 @Freshwaterhabs Practicing pond plant ID and perfecting the art of not falling over into said pond whilst in waders #pondlife

There’s already over 2bn tonnes of carbon locked underground in GB grassland soils🌱 With the right management to boost wild plants & fungi, not only can that carbon be protected, but more can be stored ❌ploughing ❌fertiliser & pesticides ✔ appropriate grazing / cutting 1/3

Check out the Marvellous Meadow community #art project on display @morethanadodo! 🎨 Artist Alice Walker worked with Care Farming members, #FMPconf23 delegates & over 270 children to create woven panels for Earth (soil); Meadow (plants) & Water (river) 🌼 alicewalkerart.co.uk/community-enga…

Absolutely blown away by the fantastic ancient floodplain meadow at @BBOWT Oxey Mead 🌱 Seeing all of the wildflowers in bloom made me very happy 🤩 Just look at all the Devil’s-bit Scabious, Great burnet, and Knapweed! Another fab day learning about #floodplains💧

Starting something new for #NationalMeadowsDay 🌱 Floodplain meadow species sketch in preparation for my next linocut 🌼🖌️ Hard to fit more in but I’ve included Great burnet, Common knapweed, Meadowsweet, Meadow foxtail, Meadow buttercup, and a tiny Meadow vetchling 🌿

It’s #NationalMeadowsDay 🌱🪲 Meadows are fantastic habitats that support a wide diversity of species and bring joy to people who visit 🌿 They’ve certainly brightened up my spring! 🌼🐝

What a fantastic week in Wales! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 We learnt so much about #aquaticplants, with very useful tips and thorough explanation of how to ID them in the field, with plant keys, and under the microscope 🔬🌱 Thanks to Nick and Richard for their expert advice #freshwaterhabitats

Based at YHA Idwal cottage for a week with an amazing view of Pen yr Ole Wen. Stunning from below but even better part way up ⛰️ Lyn Idwal in the distance 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Sign up now to look after a rare wetland plant this summer! 🌼🌿🪲