EARTH ART STUDIO
  • Home
  • Trees for Life
    • The Project
    • Creating Living Artworks
    • Satellite Images
    • Tree Nursery
    • Field Notes from ROBA
    • Youth reflections
    • Climate reflections
    • Elder Knowledge
    • Acknowledging Indigenous Rights
    • Oromo tree circle
    • The Lion
    • Adopt a Tree
    • Celebrations
    • What's Next
    • Symposium
  • TREE CIRCLES
    • Plant Graffiti
    • TREE CIRCLES
    • Contributors
    • Venice Biennale
  • Internet of Nature
    • Internet of Nature
    • COP26
    • City of Dundee
  • Exhibition kits
    • Exhibition kits
    • Resources
    • Tree stories making the news
  • About Us
Picture
The Ethiopian or also known as the Black lion is a national symbol of the country, and an important species found in the Ethiopian highlands. To the Oromo people, the Ethiopian lion represents what is known in biology terms as a 'keystone species'

Lions as keystone species indicate that a given ecosystem is healthy or has enough prey to support such large animals.  Indeed the presence of lions in the Ethiopian highlands means that there is enough wilderness and bush supporting an abundance of animals and plants for each species to forage or flourish well. 

Ethiopian lions are 
important predators  that can bring down big herbivores like elephants,  giraffes, and other herd animals. Lions, therefore, create a balance in the ecosystem by playing a key role in managing the food chain and helping to control herbivore populations. If there are too many grazing animals in a given area an ecosystem can quickly fail due to overgrazing and can become barren. As such lions help bring balance to an area while also helping to keep herbivore herds healthy as they usually prey on sick, weak, diseased, and/or older animals. 

Of note the Ethiopian lion is a genetically unique population and unlike any other lions in Africa. It is often recognized by its extra thick two coloured mane that extends down its neck and part of its shoulders and back.  It is estimated that there is only around about 200 Ethiopian lions scattered throughout the country and the population is becoming more threatened as time goes on. Ethiopian lions face ongoing challenges presented by the ongoing loss of habitats and also population survival stresses due to the ongoing illegal activities of poachers killing lions for their coat. 

Why trees and the Ethiopian lion? 

For the 'Trees for Life' project at Kofele, Oromo, Ethiopia - the community specifically asked to create an Earth observation to celebrate this very unique Black lion and to share its story.  Many children and youth are engaged in the planting of the 'living artworks' Indeed the future of our environment rests with our youth.
​
​Below is a sketch Oromo participants are using at ROBA to create their first Earth observation artwork of an Ethiopian Lion. Notice that the animal's mane has been made extra thick and long to showcase this special feature of this lion. A stylized lion was selected by the group as it was considered the most recognizable form that many global communities could spot easily from space.

Picture
The grid lines act as a guide to allows participants to know where to draw on the ground and how to scale the drawing. Each grid on the drawing represents a section of gridded earth that can measure from 1m x 1m to something much larger to 10m x 10 m.

Below: Kofele community youth members are completing ground preparation needed to support their Ethiopian Lion living artwork. The next phases after the grids are completed is to drawn an outline of the lion form within the squares to match what has been sketched above as a guide. Afterwards a series of tree saplings will be planted and within several months the form of the 'Ethiopian Lion' can be seen by satellite imagery
Picture
Picture
ROBA and the projects artists are happy to share their notes on how to create your own land artwork or Earth observation artwork.  Please just ask for these notes to be sent to you
VIDEO RESOURCES

Director of ROBA (Rural Organization for the Betterment of Agro-pastoralists), Hussein Watta, discusses how Indigenous Oromo clans protected Ethiopian Black lions in the past, but there remains a much more urgent need for conservation efforts to continue today as these animal numbers continue to dwindle. He also discusses how 'living tree artworks' planted by Oromo communities in the shape of the Black Ethiopian lion can teach children and communities about this endangered animal.

Sylvia Grace Borda offers listeners an overview to the project's design evolution. At the end of the video clip an animation illustrates what the 'Lion Living Artwork' flora will appear in the landscape once established in the landscape.
To learn more about Ethiopian Black Lions, use these links
​
https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/features/addis-ababa-lion/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/dna-confirms-ethiopian-lions-are-genetically-distinct-group-8207559.html

https://www.livescience.com/23909-unique-lions-of-ethiopia.html

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/black-mane-ethiopian-lions-video-endangered-species

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10344-012-0668-5

https://lionaid.org/lion-conservation.php

For children and youth, this tutorial can help you  learn how to drawn your own stylized lion
https://artprojectsforkids.org/how-to-draw-a-lion/


To learn more about Ethiopian animals and their habitat, use this guide
https://a-z-animals.com/animals/location/africa/ethiopia/
​
Who’s behind the project?
Picture

​Trees for Life project has been supported by the British Council’s Creative Commissions 2021 programme.
This was a series of creative commissions exploring climate change through art, science and digital technology for presentation at COP26.


Trees for Life continues (2021 - present) as an active artists-community collaboration and illustrates that land rehabilitation doesn’t need to be expensive. We understand the benefit of trees to the land and that people can assist in creating better soils and future-proofing sites from climate issues by planting trees.

Trees for Life also highlights that sustainability is dependent on the motivation and generosity of citizens, communities, artists, and scientists working together to redefine the challenges of climate change and to foster the next generation with the idea that we can make an impact through climate art and other creative approaches.

Tree Circles and Trees for Life project are co-led by climate design and media artists, Sylvia Grace Borda (Canada) and J.Keith Donnelly (UK) together with partners Ethiopia (ROBA – Rural Organisation for the Betterment of Agro-Pastoralists ) in the UK (Dundee UNESCO City of Design, Dundee City Council, Scotland),  and Canada (Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, Kwantlen Polytechnic University) to creatively respond to global issues of climate change.  
​

  • Home
  • Trees for Life
    • The Project
    • Creating Living Artworks
    • Satellite Images
    • Tree Nursery
    • Field Notes from ROBA
    • Youth reflections
    • Climate reflections
    • Elder Knowledge
    • Acknowledging Indigenous Rights
    • Oromo tree circle
    • The Lion
    • Adopt a Tree
    • Celebrations
    • What's Next
    • Symposium
  • TREE CIRCLES
    • Plant Graffiti
    • TREE CIRCLES
    • Contributors
    • Venice Biennale
  • Internet of Nature
    • Internet of Nature
    • COP26
    • City of Dundee
  • Exhibition kits
    • Exhibition kits
    • Resources
    • Tree stories making the news
  • About Us