Offaly photographer's work features in new wetlands publication
The work of one of Offaly’s best-known nature photographers features in a new guide for wetlands communities involved in creative projects.
The publication is part of an effort to engage and enthuse local people to get involved in the protection and preservation of the country’s rich wetlands.
Tina Claffey, from Birr, is an award-winning Irish nature photographer and author of 'Tapestry of Light - Ireland's bogs & wetlands as never seen before’, and ‘Portal - Otherworldly Wonders of Ireland’s bogs, wetlands and eskers’.
She now features in 'A Guide for Wetlands Communities Engaging in Creative projects’, published by the Communities Wetlands Forum which was established to promote wetlands and peatlands.
The compilation is seen as a major step forward in bringing Offaly’s wetlands communities together in shared purpose that has important ecological, societal and cultural benefits.
Tina said: “It is wonderful to be included in a book that celebrates our wetlands and our artists. The fusion of art and ecology is powerful.
"Art is a powerful medium for raising environmental awareness and encourages individuals and communities to reflect and deeply engage with their own wetland wilderness.
"Bogs are magical places that defy any distinction between land and water. They are the last true wildernesses in Western Europe and are home to extraordinary plant and animal species that have adapted in this unique environment to survive."
Much of Tina’s work centres on the unspoiled raised bogs and wet woodlands that are synonymous with the Midlands.
She is an honorary member of the Irish Peatland Conservation Council, and her work has been featured on global online platforms including the Wildlife Habitat Council US Online Conference and the UN Climate Change Conference, highlighting the Irish bog wilderness.
She has also exhibited her work in the US, Botswana, Zambia, the Netherlands, and Ireland, and her art is included in several collections, notably in the permanent collection at Aras an Uachtaráin.