Artist Lucy Stevens has developed her own visual language to interpret bird-ringing data gathered at Charnwood Forest. Through abstract mark-making, graphs and charts, the giant bird box presents this information in a creative and accessible way. A carefully selected, limited colour palette reflects the plumage, conservation status, wingspan and weight of nine bird species, translating their characteristics into a bold and distinctive visual language.

The nine featured species represent different levels of conservation concern within the traffic-light system. The blue tit, kingfisher and great spotted woodpecker are on the green list, indicating stable population numbers. The bullfinch, mallard and song thrush feature on the amber list, reflecting concern about their population trends, while the starling, yellowhammer and swift are on the red list, highlighting significant population declines. By combining data with colour, pattern and abstraction, Stevens invites audiences to engage with the changing fortunes of these familiar birds and the importance of conservation.

The installation was accompanied by bird and bug boxes attached to surrounding trees, designed and decorated through collaborative workshops with participants from Safe, Well, Happy, a learning-disabled adults’ social group based in Charnwood, and Age UK’s Men and Women in Sheds. As part of the wider 100 Habitats project, Timber Festival visitors were also invited to decorate habitats in collaboration with Charnwood Arts and Charnwood Forest Geopark. Together, these activities celebrated creativity, community participation and the importance of providing habitats for local wildlife.