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1 Chris Packham2 Geoffrey Dashwood, Hobby II3 Geoffrey Dashwood, Firecrest4 Geoffrey Dashwood with his sculpture Kingfisherthink of art being only found in galleries. “They’ve given up on an expectation of wildlife being everywhere else in their life. But it should be in every part of our environment. I think the more people we can get to engage with the wildlife that is on their doorstep or the art that is on their doorstep, the greater appreciation of both they will have.”Regional galleries have an important role to play because they help bring artworks of international renown into local communities. In July, bird sculptor Geoffrey Dashwood will have a solo show at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, Lymington, focusing on the birds of the New Forest. It’s an area that, thanks to its warm climate and proximity to continental Europe, is home to a wide variety of species, including Dartford warblers, firecrests, honey buzzards and goshawks. Packham selected which pieces would be put on show. “It’s the perfect way to use art and a knowledge of natural history to draw people Birds of the New Forest by Geoffrey Dashwood and Chris Packham 15 Jul–9 Sep St Barbe Museum, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 9BHMon–Sat, 10am–5pm, £6/£5stbarbe-museum.org.ukinto a better understanding of the New Forest as an environment, its importance, and our need to conserve the birds that live there, so I was very keen to become involved,” he says. As a local resident, these subjects are particularly close to his heart. In common with the rest of the UK, the wildlife is under pressure; sadly not all the birds in the exhibition can still be found there. “I likethe poignancy of that, it points out how the place has changed. And things do change,not always negatively. We’ve gained some, and those are included too.”Dashwood and Packham have been friends since the late 1980s, when Packham first discovered the sculptor’s work. Packham wrote the essays that sit alongside the “ BIRDS EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS THROUGH THEIR BODY SHAPE” CHRIS PACKHAM34INTERVIEW47The Arts Society ReviewSummer 2017