Shattered

15 x 21 cm ✦ Watercolour and gouache on paper

Roughly a third of the land that is now Finland used to be covered in wetlands. Less than a half of that remains in it’s natural state today, shattered into small areas here and there. Biggest contributors to the loss of these habitats have been wetland draining for agriculture and forestry, along with the extraction of peat.

This flower is the marsh tea, suopursu. It’s soft white flowers and fresh scent are what first come to mind when I think of a typical Finnish wetland scenery. It is one of the most beautiful flowers I know, even when in pieces. I hope we learn to see the true value of it’s habitat before it’s too late.