News / Cabot Circus
3D mural appears in city centre
A 3D mural has been unveiled on the floor of Cabot Circus.
The intricate mural is the work of Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) as part of a celebration of World Wetlands Day in Bristol.
The mural can be viewed at the shopping centre in Broadmead until 4pm on Thursday.
is needed now More than ever
The mural depicts a degraded wetland transforming into a flourishing habitat, filled with thriving wildlife, to remind viewers that 90 per cent of freshwater wetlands have been lost or destroyed in England alone in the past 400 years.
It envisions a “blue recovery” with imagery of Britain’s wetland wildlife and the biodiversity that lives within the ecosystem such as curlew and kingfishers, otters and dragonflies.
The mural was created by artists 3D Joe & Max whose previous clients have included Google, Disney, Reebok, Save the Children and Coca-Cola.
WWT ambassador Kwesia X is helping young people across the UK engage with the importance of the nature in inner cities – photo: Jessica Lees
It is hoped the mural will act as educational fun for both adults and children. There are opportunities for photos with the interactive qualities of the mural which include standing on the jetty, sitting in the boat or snapping a photo as you plant a shoot in the salt marsh.
After Bristol, the mural is set to travel across the UK to locations that are part of the Blue Recovery Leaders Group, a wide-ranging group of business leaders committed to championing wetlands.
The Blue Recovery campaign began post-pandemic to help the “creation and restoration of 100,000 hectares of new and restored wetlands. There is a petition people can sign to help push this restoration plan into action.
WWT ambassador Kwesia X and founder of @citygirlinnature spoke to Bristol24/7 about the significance of the mural.
Kwesia X said that there wasn’t enough education around the importance of wetlands and the benefits they bring.
“A lot of the world relies on wetlands for their main source of food and water so hearing these statistics [that 90 per cent of England’s wetlands have been lost or destroyed] makes you think how privileged we are to not know about them when a lot of people need them to survive generally.”
“Over the last few years, it’s been rough for people, especially young people, feeling isolated, not going to school, for a lot of young people that’s how they socialise. Getting outside and connecting with our mental health, it stimulates us to see all these different types of wildlife.”
“It’s so important that we come together with the pledge and change the narrative. We don’t realise how much power we have as people.”
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust mural will be on display until 4pm on Thursday.
Main photo: Elliot Cassley
Read more:
- Improved accessibility at a North Bristol nature reserve
- Meet the Bristol Zoo birds being moved to the Wild Place
- Decades-old oil barrels continue to pollute nature reserve
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